distract

/dɪˈstrækt/

Say it: dih-STRAKT

1. verb To pull someone's attention away from what they are doing or thinking about.
The loud music from next door distracted me from my work.
2. verb To provide amusement or entertainment to take someone's mind off their worries.
After the bad news, she tried to distract the children with a game.
3. verb To cause someone to feel confused, agitated, or mentally unstable.
He was a man distracted by grief, unable to think clearly.

📖 Seen in the wild

The constant notifications on his phone tended to distract him from his studies.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ distract in a sentence

Critics argue the new policy is designed to distract the public from the ongoing economic issues.
Sorry, what did you say? The notifications on my phone were distracting me.
Please try not to distract your colleagues during this critical phase of the project.
He tried to read, but the memories of the day before distracted him, pulling his thoughts into a somber haze.
If you find yourself worrying, try to distract yourself with a hobby or a short walk.
The magician's flashy hand movements are meant to distract the audience from the trick.
She found it hard not to be distracted by the stunning view from her office window.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

divert sidetrack deflect entertain amuse derail beguile perturb

divert · implies a more deliberate and often tactical redirection of attention.

sidetrack · suggests leading someone away from the main topic or task, often into something less important.

deflect · focuses on turning aside something specific, like a question or criticism, rather than general attention.

entertain · emphasizes amusement as the means of distraction.

Opposites: focus, concentrate, engage, absorb, captivate

🌱 Where it comes from

The word 'distract' comes from the Latin 'distrahere', which literally means 'to draw apart'. It's a combination of 'dis-', meaning 'apart', and 'trahere', meaning 'to draw or pull'. Over time, this idea of pulling things apart was applied metaphorically to the mind, leading to our modern sense of pulling someone's attention in different directions.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

distract someone from somethingeasily distracteda welcome distractiondistracting noisetry not to distract

The most common structure is 'to distract someone from something'. The word itself is neutral; whether a distraction is good or bad depends entirely on the situation. A loud noise can distract you from work (bad), while a good book can distract you from your worries (good). The adjective form 'distracted' is very common, as in 'He seems distracted today'.

Word family: distraction, distracted, distractedly, distracting

💬 Quick answers

What does 'distract' mean?

To 'distract' means to pull someone's attention away from what they are focused on. It can be an unwelcome interruption or a welcome amusement.

What is the difference between 'distract' and 'divert'?

'Distract' usually implies an interruption of mental focus. 'Divert' is broader and often suggests a deliberate redirection of something, such as traffic, funds, or attention, toward a different course or purpose.

Is 'distract' a negative word?

It depends on the context. It's negative when it means interrupting concentration, but it can be positive when it means entertaining someone or taking their mind off something unpleasant, like worry or pain.

What is the noun for 'distract'?

The noun form is 'distraction,' which refers to the thing that distracts you or the state of being distracted.

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