1
as in agitated
feeling overwhelming fear or worry
she's been distracted about her son ever since he left on that polar expedition
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in preoccupied
lost in thought and unaware of one's surroundings or actions
the distracted driver rear-ended the pickup truck that had stopped for the red light
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
she's been chronically depressed and distracted since her husband's death
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in diverted
to draw the attention or mind to something else
we were distracted from our discussion by the noise outside
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
distracted by the looming tax deadline
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distracted
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
10 June 2026
But Femi, ring wise, is distracted.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Maybe he was distracted by his wife’s pregnancy and can refocus now that their child is out.
—
Geoff Clark Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for distracted
Adjective
The top factors for teen crashes in 2025 were distracted driving, speeding, lane violations and following other vehicles too close, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
10 June 2026
But Femi, ring wise, is distracted.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
The Iran war has distracted Washington from its largely fruitless effort to end the fighting in Ukraine, and Zelensky sought to engage with Trump at the G-7 gathering where key European leaders were also present.
—
Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Maybe he was distracted by his wife’s pregnancy and can refocus now that their child is out.
—
Geoff Clark Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for distracted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracted
Adjective
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Pitman grew even more agitated.
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Players grew agitated having to wait, but James was sending a message to Irving and the rest of his teammates.
Adjective
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This finding specifically held true for people with fearful and preoccupied attachment styles, two subtypes of insecure attachment associated with a craving for intimacy but, respectively, a deep fear of it or a fear of rejection and abandonment.
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The phrase recalls the socialist Gilded Age mayors whom critics derided as too preoccupied with managing public works projects.
Adjective
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Humans of all ages, in fact, stare dazed into glowing screens.
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Rapkin, truth be told, looked a little dazed.
Verb
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That estimate does not include costs associated with year-round state workers whose regular duties were diverted to support the session, including legislative staff and law enforcement officers.
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But so has Dunaway and far too much of Supergirl’s attention is diverted to rescuing her young man from Dunaway’s evil clutches.
Verb
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Hordes of soccer fans wearing Mexico and South Korea jerseys were walking down Olympic Boulevard energized but not alarmed in any way.
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That alarmed some lawmakers about the risk of assessments on the rest of the market.
Adjective
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Her son was too distraught to speak on Sunday.
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Caitlin Clark appeared emotionally distraught during a postgame news conference after the Indiana Fever's 113-96 loss to the Atlanta Dream and archrival Angel Reese.
Adjective
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At the risk of sounding less like a columnist and more like a bewildered bystander … what the heck happened?
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Urged by a call from Hugo to destroy her phone and flee Kansas City fast, before WARDEX can get to her, Margaret also hits the road, accompanied initially by a bewildered Jackson.
Verb
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As was to be expected of these people, nothing had been disturbed.
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Be sure to use the powder sparingly and in areas where it won't be disturbed or pose dust-inhalation risks, adds Ellis.
Cite this Entry
“Distracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distracted. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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