Synonyms of distracted

distracted 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈstrak-təd 

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

• agitated
• distraught
• worried
• frightened
• frantic
• scared
• terrified
• upset
• delirious
• anxious
• troubled
• hysterical
• alarmed
• horrified
• disturbed
• frenzied
• distrait
• nervous
• perturbed
• beside oneself
• spooked
• wrought (up)
• disquieted
• aghast
• crazed
• fearful
• tense
• demented
• deranged
• mad
• maniacal
• berserk
• terrorized
• nuclear
• ballistic
• affrighted
• ranting
• raging
• raving

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collected
• composed
• recollected
• calm
• peaceful
• serene
• tranquil
• placid
• self-possessed
• undisturbed
• unperturbed
• self-composed
• unhysterical
• self-collected
• cool
• untroubled
• unworried
• self-possessed
• unshaken
• coolheaded

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• preoccupied
• dazed
• absent
• bewildered
• confused
• abstracted
• absentminded
• oblivious
• absorbed
• engrossed
• unaware
• forgetting
• inattentive
• forgetful
• pensive
• daydreaming
• dreaming
• rapt
• unmindful
• dreamy
• unconscious
• heedless
• unfocused
• intent
• muddled
• unthinking
• bemused
• scatterbrained
• unwitting
• clueless
• faraway
• unknowing
• unperceptive
• foggy
• vacant
• unheeding
• unwary
• befuddled
• hazy
• flighty
• insensible
• befogged
• birdbrained

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• alert
• engaged
• aware
• conscious
• alive
• attentive
• wary
• mindful
• watchful
• vigilant
• sharp
• observant
• observing
• wide-awake
• heedful
• heads-up
• open-eyed
• clearheaded

3

as in dazed

suffering from mental confusion

she's been chronically depressed and distracted since her husband's death

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dazed
• bewildered
• confused
• stunned
• dizzy
• silly
• bemused
• befuddled
• out of it
• stupefied
• fogged
• addled
• muddleheaded
• dopey
• confounded
• bedeviled
• raddled
• mixed-up
• punchy
• at sea
• pixilated
• punch-drunk
• shell-shocked
• spacey
• befogged
• addle
• slaphappy
• unconscious
• bushed
• zonked
• muzzy
• zonked-out
• addlepated
• spaced-out
• senseless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conscious
• alert
• clearheaded

distracted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of distract

1

as in diverted

to draw the attention or mind to something else

we were distracted from our discussion by the noise outside

Synonyms & Similar Words

• diverted
• amused
• abstracted
• detracted
• entertained
• threw off
• called off
• wandered
• strayed
• beguiled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• focused
• concentrated

2

as in alarmed

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

distracted by the looming tax deadline

Synonyms & Similar Words

• alarmed
• disturbed
• bothered
• worried
• concerned
• agitated
• angered
• unsettled
• annoyed
• upset
• distressed
• plagued
• perturbed
• irritated
• dismayed
• disquieted
• haunted
• discomforted
• derailed
• frazzled
• confused
• flurried
• unhinged
• discomposed
• embarrassed
• exercised
• rattled
• distempered
• fussed
• weirded out
• ailed
• bugged
• exasperated
• freaked (out)
• aggravated
• harassed
• undid
• harried
• irked
• discouraged
• flustered
• vexed
• peeved
• riled
• pestered
• nettled
• piqued
• hagrode
• disconcerted
• mortified
• chafed
• fretted
• bedeviled
• put off
• nonplussed
• grated
• put out
• jarred
• got
• discomfited
• confounded
• galled
• unnerved
• fazed
• disheartened
• abashed
• dispirited
• daunted
• demoralized
• chivied
• discountenanced
• shook up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• calmed
• quieted
• composed
• soothed
• settled
• alleviated
• allayed
• assuaged
• tranquilized
• pacified
• appeased
• placated
• mollified
• propitiated
• conciliated

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

Recent Examples of distracted

Adjective

This constant influx of mental material can lead to feeling overwhelmed, distracted, or caught in an emotional response. —Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026

One of the impacts of the terminations was that instead of guiding my lab towards the studies to prevent or treat cancer, I’ve been extremely distracted by efforts to try to raise money to support the lab. —Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026

Verb

The driver who hit Taylor told police he was distracted at the time of the crash. —J.d. Miles, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026

Arguments such as these distracted the public from rethinking the true cost of stripping public coffers and actively widening the country’s income gap. —Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026