distract
gb/dɪstɹˈækt/ us/dɪstɹˈækt/
B1
English
~ 1700
eltereli valakinek a figyelmét, elvonja valakinek a figyelmét
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to distract [someone] from [something]
The noise outside distracted me from my work.
A kinti zaj elvonta a figyelmemet a munkámról.
She tried to distract the baby with a toy.
Megpróbálta egy játékkal elterelni a baba figyelmét.
Don't distract him while he's driving.
The bright lights distracted the players during the game.
Learner examples
The music distracted me while I was reading.
A zene elterelte a figyelmemet, miközben olvastam.
He distracted his friend with a funny story.
Egy vicces történettel elterelte a barátja figyelmét.
The phone call distracted her from cooking.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'distract' with 'attract'. 'Distract' means to take attention away, while 'attract' means to draw attention toward.
Meaning
to divert someone's attention
Collocations
distract attention
|distract the driver
|distract students
|easily distracted
Synonyms
divert (Slightly more formal; often used for attention in various contexts.)
|
sidetrack (Informal; suggests leading someone away from their main focus or purpose.)
Antonyms
focus (Means to direct attention toward something, the opposite of taking it away.)
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make someone stop paying attention to what they are doing and think about something else.
To cause someone to stop giving their full attention to something by drawing their mind to something else.
Grammar
Dictionary form
distract
IPA
GB/dɪstɹˈækt/
US/dɪstɹˈækt/
Syllables & stress
dis - tract (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (tract)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: distract
- 3rd Person Singular: distracts
- Present Participle: distracting
- Past: distracted
Word family
Forms
distracts
verb
distracting
verb
distracted
verb
Core family
distraction
noun B1
Related words
distractingly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
undistracted
adjective
Advanced or less common
distractible
adjective
distractibility
noun
Expressions
distract from
1/dɪstɹˈækt fɹˈʌm/
phrasal verb
to take attention away from something
To make someone stop thinking about or noticing something.
Examples
- The fun activities helped distract from the bad weather.
- His jokes distracted from the seriousness of the meeting.
easily distracted
1/ˈizəli dɪstɹˈæktɪd/
fixed phrase
losing focus quickly
Not able to keep attention on one thing for long.
Examples
- Children are often easily distracted in class.
- She is easily distracted by her phone.