distracted 1 of 2

1
2
3

distracted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of distract

Synonym Chooser

How is the word distracted distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of distracted are absentminded, absent, abstracted, and preoccupied. While all these words mean "inattentive to what claims or demands consideration," distracted may suggest an inability to concentrate caused by worry, sorrow, or anxiety.

was too distracted by grief to continue working

When is absent a more appropriate choice than distracted?

The meanings of absent and distracted largely overlap; however, absent stresses inability to fix the mind on present concerns due more to mental wandering than to concentration on other matters.

an absent stare

When can absentminded be used instead of distracted?

In some situations, the words absentminded and distracted are roughly equivalent. However, absentminded implies that the mind is fixed elsewhere and often refers to a habit of abstractedness.

so absentminded, he's been known to wear mismatched shoes

Where would abstracted be a reasonable alternative to distracted?

The words abstracted and distracted are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, abstracted implies absorption of the mind in something other than one's surroundings, and often suggests reflection on weighty matters.

walking about with an abstracted air

When might preoccupied be a better fit than distracted?

While the synonyms preoccupied and distracted are close in meaning, preoccupied often implies having one's attention so taken up by thoughts as to neglect others.

too preoccupied with her debts to enjoy the meal

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distracted
Adjective
In 1980, when Iraq’s president, Saddam Hussein, seized oil fields on the Iranian border, under the assumption that Iran was too distracted to object, Iran saw an opportunity to pivot to fighting external enemies. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025 The auto club also urged parents to talk to kids about distracted walking. Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
No smear campaign distracted them. Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025 An investigation into the child's death revealed that the boy's father, Brady Kiser, said he was distracted by something at the time Trigg fell into the pool. Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for distracted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracted
Adjective
  • Remember how agitated Laura got when Daniel scraped his knee mountain biking?
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
  • As officers tried to determine if he was connected to the disturbance, Cusick allegedly became agitated and produced a firearm, Depue said earlier.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Science fiction is still preoccupied with real world fears about the pitfalls and potential dangers of AI.
    Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • What's popular is appearing preoccupied, too busy scrolling on one's phone to look around—and too caught up with one's many friends to make any new ones at a mall.
    Annabelle Canela, Parents, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The same woman who used to have fun behind her camera now seems sleepy, dazed, and even drugged.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Some seemed visibly dazed to suddenly be back in their homeland.
    Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In the second case, the IMF is carried outwards by the solar wind and bumps into the magnetic field of the earth as the solar wind is diverted around it.
    Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Arrivals from cities including Gran Canaria, Tokyo, and Paris were diverted to alternate airports across Poland and Europe.
    Amanda Castro Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The incursion was by far the largest-ever of Russian drones into NATO airspace, a move that has alarmed allied countries and fueled fears the war is escalating and spreading.
    Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Police took Taddese’s phone and vehicle as evidence, which alarmed the family, Bernard said, explaining some of the family’s reservations about the police investigation.
    PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Family distrusts police investigation after shooting Taddese’s family has been distraught since his death, according to Bernard.
    PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
  • As police secured the area with crime scene tape, distraught family members began arriving at the scene late Sunday night, according to police dispatch audio.
    Doc Louallen, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Everybody seems bewildered by this news, his own wife most of all.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Layered in cream, bruised, bewildered, bald.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Vic and Cali hadn’t wanted a wedding, but this had disturbed Vic’s parents.
    Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Some civil servants working to bolster democracy around the world and at home, for example, were disturbed by shifts in foreign policy.
    Yvonne Zylan, The Conversation, 4 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distracted. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on distracted

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!