distraction

noun

dis·​trac·​tion di-ˈstrak-shən 

1

: something that distracts : an object that directs one's attention away from something else

turned off her phone to limit distractions

One created a distraction while the other grabbed the money.

especially : amusement

a harmless distraction

a book of word puzzles and other distractions

2

: the act of distracting or the state of being distracted

especially : mental confusion

driven to distraction by their endless chatter

distractive

di-ˈstrak-tiv 

adjective

Synonyms

• bafflement
• bamboozlement
• befuddlement
• bemusement
• bewilderedness
• bewilderment
• confusedness
• confusion
• discombobulation
• fog
• head-scratching
• maze [chiefly dialect]
• muddle
• mystification
• perplexity
• puzzlement
• tangle
• whirl

Examples of distraction in a Sentence

It was hard to work with so many distractions.

One of them created a distraction while the other grabbed the money.

A weekend at the beach was a good distraction from her troubles.

Their endless chatter drove her to distraction.

Recent Examples on the Web

Even the endless trolling on both sides online at a certain point had its charm, a welcome distraction from the cascade of depressing news that usually floods newsfeeds and For You pages. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2024

Manual distraction involves taking your hands off the wheel. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

see distract entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

distraction

noun

dis·​trac·​tion dis-ˈtrak-shən 

1

: the act of distracting : the state of being distracted

especially : mental confusion

2

a

: something that makes it hard to pay attention

b

: amusement sense 1

distractive

-ˈtrak-tiv 

adjective

Medical Definition

distraction

noun

dis·​trac·​tion dis-ˈtrak-shən 

1

a

: diversion of the attention

b

: mental confusion

2

: excessive separation (as from improper traction) of fracture fragments

distract

dis-ˈtrakt 

transitive verb