distract
B1Neutral (used across formal, informal, written, and spoken contexts)
Definition
Meaning
To divert someone's attention away from something, making them lose focus or concentration.
To cause emotional or mental disturbance, preventing peace of mind; to amuse or entertain as a diversion; to confuse or bewilder.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies an active interference with attention or thought. It can have positive connotations (providing welcome amusement) or negative ones (causing harmful lack of focus). Often involves an external agent or stimulus.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences in core usage. The related noun 'distraction' is equally common in both varieties.
Connotations
Slightly more common in American English in contexts like 'distracted driving' (UK: often 'using a mobile phone while driving').
Frequency
Comparably frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Verb] + [Object]: The noise distracted me.[Verb] + [Object] + from + [Noun/-ing]: He distracted her from her work.[Verb] + [Object] + with + [Noun]: She distracted the child with a toy.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Distract attention from (to divert scrutiny)”
- “A welcome distraction (a pleasant interruption)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"We must not let minor issues distract us from our strategic goals."
Academic
"The study aimed to determine which visual stimuli most distract participants during cognitive tasks."
Everyday
"Sorry, the TV distracted me—what did you say?"
Technical
In ophthalmology, a 'distractor' test may assess visual field attention.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The loud roadworks outside the hospital are distracting the surgeons.
- Try not to distract him while he's operating the machinery.
American English
- The billboard is so bright it distracts drivers on the freeway.
- She distracted the toddler with a snack while she made the call.
adverb
British English
- He listened distractedly, nodding without comprehension.
American English
- She glanced distractedly out the window during the meeting.
adjective
British English
- The distracted student hadn't heard the question.
- He gave a rather distracted reply, his mind clearly elsewhere.
American English
- Distracted driving is a leading cause of accidents.
- She seemed distracted and kept checking her phone.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The music distracts me. I cannot study.
- Please be quiet. Do not distract your sister.
- The teacher asked us to stop talking because we were distracting the class.
- It's easy to get distracted by social media when you're working.
- The government was accused of using the scandal to distract public attention from the failing economy.
- Despite numerous distractions, she managed to finish her thesis on time.
- The captivating artwork served to distract viewers from the architectural flaws of the building.
- His argument was sophistic, designed to distract from the core ethical issue at hand.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DIS-tract. DIS- means 'away', TRACT is like 'traction' or 'pull'. It pulls your attention AWAY.
Conceptual Metaphor
ATTENTION IS A RESOURCE (diverted, stolen); FOCUS IS A BEAM OF LIGHT (deflected).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'distract' for physical diversion of objects (use 'divert' or 'redirect').
- Do not confuse with 'abstract' (абстрактный).
- The Russian отвлекать covers similar ground, but English 'distract' is less appropriate for deliberately misleading someone (use 'mislead').
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: He distracted the conversation. (Correct: He distracted me from the conversation / He diverted the conversation.)
- Incorrect: I was very distracted on my exam. (Correct: I was very distracted during my exam.)
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'distract' used INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Distract' is used primarily for attention or a person's mind ('distract the student'). 'Divert' has a broader use and can apply to physical things like traffic, rivers, or resources, as well as attention ('divert the stream', 'divert funds').
Yes. For example, 'The game distracted the children while we prepared the surprise,' or 'I needed a pleasant distraction from my worries.' Here, it implies a welcome or helpful interruption.
Both are possible, marking the instrument of distraction. 'He was distracted by the noise' (passive). 'She distracted him with a joke' (active). 'Distract from' indicates the activity being interrupted: 'distract him from his homework.'
The noun is 'distraction'. It can be countable ('There are too many distractions here') or uncountable ('He listened without distraction'). The phrase 'to distraction' means to an extreme degree: 'He loved her to distraction.'