Thesaurus

distract

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of distract

1 to draw the attention or mind to something else

we were distracted from our discussion by the noise outside

Synonyms of distract

abstract, call off, detract, divert, throw off

Words Related to distract

amuse, beguile, entertain

Near Antonyms of distract

concentrate, focus

2 to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

distracted by the looming tax deadline

Synonyms of distract

agitate, ail, alarm (also alarum), bother, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distemper, distress, disturb, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, worry

Words Related to distract

aggravate, anger, annoy, bug, chafe, chivy (or chivvy), exasperate, fret, gall, get, grate, harass, harry, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put off, put out, rile, vex

bedevil, haunt, plague

abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, jar, mortify, nonplus, rattle, shake up

daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, unnerve

Near Antonyms of distract

allay, alleviate, assuage

appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate

Antonyms of distract

calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize (also tranquillize)

Synonym Discussion of distract

puzzle, perplex, bewilder, distract, nonplus, confound, dumbfound mean to baffle and disturb mentally. puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve.

- the persistent fever puzzled the doctor

perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision.

- a behavior that perplexed her friends

bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking.

- a bewildering number of possibilities

distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests.

- distracted by personal problems

nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible.

- the remark left us utterly nonplussed

confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement.

- the tragic news confounded us all

dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound.

- was at first too dumbfounded to reply

Learn More about distract

See words that rhyme with distract Dictionary: Definition of distract Spanish Central: Translation of distract Nglish: Translation of distract for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of distract for Arabic speakers

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