distract
gb/dɪstɹˈækt/ us/dɪstɹˈækt/
B1
English
~ 1700
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
to divert someone's attention
To make someone stop paying attention to what they are doing and think about something else.
Usage pattern:
to distract [someone] from [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'distract' with 'attract'. 'Distract' means to take attention away, while 'attract' means to draw attention toward.
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.)
Collocations
distract attention
|distract the driver
|distract students
|easily distracted
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The noise outside distracted me from my work.
- She tried to distract the baby with a toy.
- 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.
- He distracted his friend with a funny story.
- The phone call distracted her from cooking.
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.