Synonyms of distract

distract 1 of 3

verb (1)

1

as in to divert

to draw the attention or mind to something else

we were distracted from our discussion by the noise outside

Synonyms & Similar Words

• divert
• detract
• abstract
• throw off
• amuse
• entertain
• call off
• stray
• wander
• beguile

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• focus
• concentrate

2

as in to disturb

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

distracted by the looming tax deadline

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disturb
• bother
• worry
• concern
• alarm
• unsettle
• agitate
• annoy
• anger
• derail
• haunt
• distress
• irritate
• confuse
• perturb
• upset
• plague
• unhinge
• embarrass
• discomfort
• undo
• exercise
• discompose
• ail
• dismay
• rattle
• aggravate
• disquiet
• flurry
• harass
• exasperate
• discourage
• pester
• fuss
• bug
• rile
• freak (out)
• frazzle
• irk
• weird out
• distemper
• vex
• bedevil
• alarum
• chivvy
• hagride
• fluster
• disconcert
• pique
• confound
• get
• put off
• fret
• put out
• unnerve
• mortify
• discomfit
• dishearten
• chafe
• demoralize
• faze
• dispirit
• harry
• grate
• gall
• daunt
• chivy
• shake up
• peeve
• discountenance
• nettle
• abash
• jar
• nonplus

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• settle
• soothe
• calm
• compose
• quiet
• alleviate
• allay
• assuage
• tranquilize
• placate
• appease
• tranquillize
• pacify
• mollify
• conciliate
• propitiate

distracting

2 of 3

adjective

as in confounding

Synonyms & Similar Words

• confounding
• perplexing
• puzzling
• inaccurate
• lying
• bewildering
• incorrect
• fraudulent
• duplicitous
• subtle
• untrustworthy
• wrong
• misleading
• trick
• dishonest
• tricky
• untruthful
• mendacious
• faithless
• deceiving
• sneaky
• crafty
• deceptive
• shifty
• slick
• artful
• cunning
• subtile
• wily
• phoney
• dissembling
• crooked
• underhanded
• defrauding
• ambidextrous
• devious
• foxy
• insidious
• sly
• knavish
• beguiling
• specious
• spurious
• ambiguous
• underhand
• counterfeit
• phony
• deceitful
• fake
• bogus
• delusive
• trickish
• treacherous
• fallacious
• shady
• feigned
• double-dealing
• sneaking
• jive
• perfidious
• deluding
• sham
• evasive
• guileful
• fast
• hypocritical
• forged
• delusory
• false
• insincere
• circuitous
• equivocal
• artificial
• backhanded
• two-faced
• left-handed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• direct
• straightforward
• plain
• illuminating
• forthright
• open
• outspoken
• straight
• candid
• aboveboard
• frank
• revealing
• explanatory
• nondeceptive
• clarifying
• revelatory
• plainspoken
• truthful
• openhearted
• honest
• free-spoken
• trustworthy
• elucidative
• foursquare

distracting

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of distract

1

as in diverting

to draw the attention or mind to something else

we were distracted from our discussion by the noise outside

Synonyms & Similar Words

• diverting
• detracting
• amusing
• throwing off
• abstracting
• entertaining
• calling off
• wandering
• straying
• beguiling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• focusing
• concentrating
• focussing

2

as in bothering

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

distracted by the looming tax deadline

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bothering
• disturbing
• alarming
• worrying
• concerning
• unsettling
• angering
• distressing
• annoying
• agitating
• upsetting
• haunting
• plaguing
• irritating
• discomforting
• perturbing
• disquieting
• confusing
• derailing
• undoing
• dismaying
• exercising
• distempering
• embarrassing
• fussing
• unhinging
• ailing
• bugging
• discomposing
• rattling
• flurrying
• frazzling
• aggravating
• exasperating
• harassing
• freaking (out)
• discouraging
• hagriding
• pestering
• irking
• alaruming
• vexing
• weirding out
• nettling
• disconcerting
• chivvying
• flustering
• grating
• riling
• harrying
• jarring
• chivying
• fretting
• galling
• chafing
• bedeviling
• mortifying
• getting
• piquing
• confounding
• discomfiting
• peeving
• putting off
• unnerving
• putting out
• demoralizing
• fazing
• disheartening
• dispiriting
• daunting
• abashing
• discountenancing
• shaking up
• nonplussing
• nonplusing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• soothing
• calming
• composing
• quieting
• settling
• tranquilizing
• alleviating
• allaying
• assuaging
• tranquillizing
• placating
• pacifying
• appeasing
• mollifying
• conciliating
• propitiating