distract

Borrowed from Latin distractus, from distrahō (“to pull apart”), from dis- + trahō (“to pull”).

• IPA^(key): /dɪˈstɹækt/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ækt

distract (third-person singular simple present distracts, present participle distracting, simple past and past participle distracted)

1. (transitive) To divert the attention of.

   The crowd was distracted by a helicopter hovering over the stadium when the only goal of the game was scored.

   • 2011 December 10, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 1-0 Everton”, in BBC Sport:

     While Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had warned his players against letting the pre-match festivities distract them from the task at hand, they clearly struggled for fluency early on.

   • 2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:

     Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.

   • 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 65:

     I eschew the idea of plugging in my laptop to take notes and resort to old-fashioned pen and paper instead, so that I can enjoy more of the view and not be distracted by bashing a keyboard.

2. (transitive) To make crazy or insane; to drive to distraction.
   • 1712 (date written), Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. , London: J Tonson, , published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 2:

     By Heav’ns, ſuch Virtues, join’d with ſuch Succeſs,
     Diſtract my very Soul: Our Father’s Fortune
     Wou’d almoſt tempt us to renounce his Precepts.

• distracted
• distractible
• distracting
• distraction

distract (not comparable) (obsolete)

1. Drawn asunder; separated.
2. Insane, mad.
   • c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 274, column 2:

     Ol[ivia]. […] Fetch Maluolio hither, / And yet alas, novv I remember me, / They ſay poore Gentleman, he's much diſtract. […] Did he vvrite this? / Clo[wn]. I [aye] Madame. / Du[ke Orsino]. This ſauours not much of diſtraction.

   • 1612, Michael Drayton, “The Sixt Song”, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, , London: for M Lownes; I Browne; I Helme; I Busbie, →OCLC, page 90:

     Alone ſhee beeing left the ſpoyle of loue and death, / In labour of her griefe outrageouſly diſtract, / The utmoſt of her ſpleene on her falſe Lord to act […]

• distraught

• adstrict