distraction

noun

dis·​trac·​tion di-ˈstrak-shən 

1

: something that distracts : an object that directs one's attention away from something else

turned off her phone to limit distractions

One created a distraction while the other grabbed the money.

especially : amusement

a harmless distraction

a book of word puzzles and other distractions

2

: the act of distracting or the state of being distracted

especially : mental confusion

driven to distraction by their endless chatter

distractive

di-ˈstrak-tiv 

adjective

Synonyms

• bafflement
• bamboozlement
• befuddlement
• bemusement
• bewilderedness
• bewilderment
• confusedness
• confusion
• discombobulation
• fog
• head-scratching
• maze [chiefly dialect]
• muddle
• mystification
• perplexity
• puzzlement
• tangle
• whirl

Examples of distraction in a Sentence

It was hard to work with so many distractions.

One of them created a distraction while the other grabbed the money.

A weekend at the beach was a good distraction from her troubles.

Their endless chatter drove her to distraction.

Recent Examples on the Web

But that inevitably has not been a distraction for this hardworking, free flowing team. —Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025

Parents and educators worry smartphones can cause distraction, loneliness and other mental health challenges among young people. —Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025

The pandemic served as a major catalyst, with many turning to tarot as a form of self-care and introspection when faced with life’s bigger questions and fewer distractions. —Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025

This is the distraction of the day, the art of distraction. —ABC News, 20 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English distraccioun "state of being distracted, diversion of mind," borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French distraccion "inattentiveness," borrowed from Late Latin distractiōn-, distractiō "diversion of mind," going back to Latin, "action of tearing apart," from distrac-, variant stem of distrahere "to pull apart, break up, separate, draw (a person's mind) in contrary directions" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at distract entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for distraction

• abstraction
• attraction
• compaction
• contraction
• detraction
• diffraction
• exaction
• extraction
• impaction
• inaction
• infraction
• olfaction

Kids Definition

distraction

noun

dis·​trac·​tion dis-ˈtrak-shən 

1

: the act of distracting : the state of being distracted

especially : mental confusion

2

a

: something that makes it hard to pay attention

b

: amusement sense 1

distractive

-ˈtrak-tiv 

adjective

Medical Definition

distraction

noun

dis·​trac·​tion dis-ˈtrak-shən 

1

a

: diversion of the attention

b

: mental confusion

2

: excessive separation (as from improper traction) of fracture fragments

distract

dis-ˈtrakt 

transitive verb