Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

distract

[dih-strakt]

Example Sentences Origin

verb (used with object)

to draw away or divert, as the mind or attention: The music distracted him from his work.

to disturb or trouble greatly in mind; beset: Grief distracted him.

to provide a pleasant diversion for; amuse; entertain: I'm bored with bridge, but golf still distracts me.

to separate or divide by dissension or strife.

adjective

Obsolete. distracted.

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Distract is one of our favorite verbs.

So is kibitz. Does it mean:

to spend time idly; loaf.

chat, to converse

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin distractus (past participle of distrahere to draw apart), equivalent to dis- dis-¹ + trac- (variant stem of trahere to draw) + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

dis·tract·i·ble, adjective

dis·tract·ing·ly, adverb

non·dis·tract·ing, adjective

non·dis·tract·ing·ly, adverb

un·dis·tract·ing, adjective

EXPAND

un·dis·tract·ing·ly, adverb

COLLAPSE

Synonyms
2. bewilder, agitate, pain, torment, distress.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To distract

Example Sentences

Many joggers don earbuds and listen to music to distract themselves from the rigors of running.

While some presidents fear that the process will distract.

Others argue that significant time spent on social networking platforms actually distract students from their studies.

EXPAND

Many joggers don earbuds and listen to music to distract themselves from the rigors of running.

While some presidents fear that the process will distract.

Others argue that significant time spent on social networking platforms actually distract students from their studies.

The mother slows and moves evasively to distract the hungry predator.

Putting the focus on the arguer or person being discussed can distract us from the issues that matter.

Her tightly rolled black hair was topped off by a feathered fascinator, which failed to distract from her homeliness.

Put out quail blocks or birdseed to distract hungry birds.

Don't let the future distract you from the present day.

Do not run toward the bulls"Do not challenge, touch or otherwise distract the bulls.

They distract us mid-conversation and make us miss the critical clue in the mystery we're watching at the theater.

Short-term price movements, its oil minister insists, should not distract from the world's enduring thirst for oil.

Don't let its unpleasant look distract you from its pleasant taste.

Aiding the earthquake victims should not distract from other challenges.

The subtle alterations give the image focus and actually serve to enhance rather than distract or fix the photo.

But the book is not so light as to distract or detract from the pertinent medical information contained therein.

Today's abundant fossil fuels should not distract us from tomorrow's renewable solutions.

But arbitrary markers and deadlines can also distract people from making the lasting changes that really matter.

But it proved impossible to distract the jury from what was said in those calls.

When bull riders land on the ground after being thrown, a team of rodeo clowns rushes to distract the bull and protect the rider.

Charges of hypocrisy can be surprisingly irrelevant and often distract us from more important concerns.

He's not bad, but he tended to distract from the content of the segments as much as he added to them.

They will only distract you from your creative vision and from becoming great at what you do.

No doubt his frantic attempt to scan the bibliography and see if his work is cited will sufficiently distract him.

Distract from the issue at hand and make people feel bad for even caring about the issue.

Some animals, such as brittle stars, can detach body parts to distract predators.

The male neuroscientist in the video said he was surprised at how humour could be used to distract attention.

Quiet cooling fans won't distract you from the action onscreen.

Meanwhile, the live performers are so captivating that they often distract from what is happening on screen.

Attempts to dismiss other positions as merely political distract us from the point.

Nor does he want the issue to distract from bigger priorities.

It should distract him long enough for you to get out and keep him busy and calm his mind.

If you get a blurry picture, not real, the blur was added to distract from wires or whatever.

The purpose of iMinds was to help distract and educate us while waiting in line or going for a walk.

Presenting false choices about renewable energy will only distract us from the important task that lies ahead.

Do whatever it takes to distract yourself and survive with your sanity more or less intact.

If you can distract it from the endless supply of cartoons, ask your child what it is watching.

If she woofs at people, distract her by giving her a command.

Consequently, it is of little use other than to deceive and distract.

The system also controls chat-room visits and instant messaging that might otherwise distract wired students.

Sokolow declined to divulge his salary, which he said would distract from his contributions to the field.

But it did not distract the muscle-heads swinging on the nearby parallel bars.

As a result, he not only can easily distract us from our belongings but also con us into giving them up.

Use formatting to support the organizational structure of your content, not distract from it.

The last thing motorists need is yet more gadgets in vehicles to distract them still further.

If all psychedelics do is distract or over-ride the pain generating cause, it can be a huge help.

They dutifully promised that they wouldn't let the change in atmosphere distract them.

Being a listed company would distract management and limit the freedom to make decisions, company officials explain.

Something new developed each day to distract me from my job.

One thing that helped me get through that training was to try to try to distract myself from my queasiness.

But mobile phones pose the biggest risk, for research shows that these gadgets distract in a more pernicious way.

The glowing bombs are thought to distract predators such as fish, allowing the worms to escape.

There are few labels and benches to distract from the works.

Cognitive load is exploited by magicians, whose verbal and physical flourishes distract from sleight-of-hand.

The casino owners discourage cinemas and clubs opening because it will distract people from gambling.

Today's consumer societies also dramatically distract young people with material things.

The whole purpose of that is to distract them from thinking as they're working".

One way to do this is to distract yourself when you end up perseverating.

Drawing up plans for fiscal federalism could distract government attention from the need for such reform.

It turns out, arm-waving was enough to distract the kicker.

And with no more administrative duties to distract him, he adds happily:.

Yet there was much to enjoy and distract from the occasional crick.

Nearly every page is plagued by typographical and sometimes factual errors, which often distract from the point.

They would also distract attention from the real source of the problem.

Focusing on a few suggestive emails merely serves to distract from the wealth of empirical evidence for man-made global warming.

Close colleagues may want your job, and relationships with them may distract you.

Another interesting option called paradoxical intention attempts to shift the focus of a patient to distract them.

Maybe if the economy is really bad or he cancels the election, he might try to distract everyone with an outside conflict.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

distract (dɪˈstrækt)

—vb
1.	(often passive) to draw the attention of (a person) away from something
2.	to divide or confuse the attention of (a person)
3.	to amuse or entertain
4.	to trouble greatly
5.	to make mad

[C14: from Latin distractus perplexed, from distrahere to pull in different directions, from dis-¹ + trahere to drag]

dis'tracter

—n

dis'tractible

—*adj*

distracti'bility

—n

dis'tracting

—*adj*

dis'tractingly

—*adv*

dis'tractive

—*adj*

dis'tractively

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

distract

mid-14c., "to draw asunder or apart" (literal and figurative), from L. distractus, pp. of distrahere "draw in different directions," from dis- "away" + trahere "to draw" (see tract (1)). Sense of "to throw into a state of mind in which one knows not how to act" is from 1580s.

EXPAND

Related: Distracted; distracting.

COLLAPSE

Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com

Searching for distract?
How many words do you actually know?

FIND OUT

distraught diversionary divert

Matching Quote

"A house means a family house, a place specially meant for putting children and men in so as to restrict their waywardness and distract them from the longing for adventure and escape they've had since time began."

-Marguerite Duras

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help