distract B2 Topic:Mind & Cognition US /dɪˈstɹækt/ See IPA manual Freq #6503 Meanings 1 verb To take someone's attention away from what they are doing. The loud music distracted me while I was trying to study. 2 verb To draw attention away from something on purpose, often as a trick. The thief distracted the shopkeeper while his partner stole the watch. 3 verb To upset or worry someone so much that they cannot think clearly. She was so distracted by grief that she could barely speak. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to take someone's attention... sidetrackdeflect 3 verb · to upset or worry someone... trouble Word family Forms distracteddistractedlydistractingdistractinglydistracts Derived forms distractabledistracteedistracterdistractfuldistractivedistractor Related forms distracteddistractibledistractingdistractiondistraught Etymology AI details Borrowed from Latin distractus, from distrahō (“to pull apart”), from dis- + trahō (“to pull”). distractus Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Mind & Cognition External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # distract **Type:** Word **Level:** B2 **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /dɪˈstɹækt/ **Frequency rank:** 6503 ## Meanings 1. To take someone's attention away from what they are doing. 2. To draw attention away from something on purpose, often as a trick. 3. To upset or worry someone so much that they cannot think clearly. ## Examples - The loud music distracted me while I was trying to study. - The thief distracted the shopkeeper while his partner stole the watch. - She was so distracted by grief that she could barely speak. ## Derived Forms - distractable - distractee - distracter - distractful - distractive - distractor ## Related Forms - distracted - distractible - distracting - distraction - distraught ## Roots and Affixes - Root: distractus ## Etymology Borrowed from Latin distractus, from distrahō (“to pull apart”), from dis- + trahō (“to pull”). ## AI Etymology Distract is borrowed from Latin distractus, from distrahō (“to pull apart”), from dis- + trahō (“to pull”). In current use, the main senses are “To take someone's attention away from what they are doing” and “To draw attention away from something on purpose, often as a trick”. ## Topics - Mind & Cognition markdown