distracted

adjective

dis·​tract·​ed di-ˈstrak-təd 

1

: having one's thoughts or attention drawn away : unable to concentrate or give attention to something

a distracted driver

… everyone else … is too distracted to see how lost and yearning she has become …

—Richard Schickel

… used to get so distracted by cellphone conversations overheard on the bus that she couldn't focus on reading.

—Roni Caryn Rabin

2

: harassed, confused, or disturbed especially by strong feelings

a mind distracted by grief

… putting that poor gentleman through a course of questions that nearly drove him distracted.

—Louisa May Alcott

distractedly adverb

distractedness noun

Synonyms

• agitated
• delirious
• distrait
• distraught
• frantic
• frenzied
• hysterical
• hysteric

Choose the Right Synonym for distracted

abstracted, preoccupied, absent, absent-minded, distracted mean inattentive to what claims or demands consideration.

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

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

absent stresses inability to fix the mind on present concerns due more to mental wandering than to concentration on other matters.

an absent stare

absent-minded implies that the mind is fixed elsewhere and often refers to a habit of abstractedness.

so absent-minded, he's been known to wear mismatched shoes

distracted may suggest an inability to concentrate caused by worry, sorrow, or anxiety.

was too distracted by grief to continue working

Examples of distracted in a Sentence

If you're feeling distracted, take a break.

she's been distracted about her son ever since he left on that polar expedition

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the National Highway and Traffic Administration, distracted driving kills more than 3,000 people across the U.S. every year; in Michigan in 2022, there were 53 fatal crashes where police determined distracted driving was a factor. —Detroit Free Press, 12 Apr. 2024

Beam said traffic accidents are to be expected as a result of the influx of people because of out-of-towners unaccustomed to using two-lane highways and distracted drivers looking at the sky during the eclipse. —Sadie Lacicero, arkansasonline.com, 7 Apr. 2024

But to be clear, no one is safe from traffic violence, as cars and trucks get bigger and more lethal to pedestrians, as more people speed or make mistakes due to distracted driving, and because streets are almost always designed for cars to move quickly. —Nicole Efron, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024

Fans will become distracted, or at least until MLB’s awkward offseason kicks back in. —Maury Brown, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3,100 people were killed and around 425,000 were injured due to distracted drivers in 2019. —Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Mar. 2024

The women walked in a hurried, distracted manner, some without their veils, pacing back and forth in front of the compound. —Mohammed Naseehu Ali, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

Rebecca Crigler makes an impressive San Diego acting debut as Margery, a distracted and despairing widow making one bad choice after another. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024

But for distracted shoppers buying two weeks’ worth of groceries with kids in tow … well, less of a godsend. —Christine Kilpatrick, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 2