distract
/dɪˈstrækt/to draw someone's attention away from what they are doing or thinking about
Children often distract their parents with questions during important phone calls.
Kids frequently interrupt their parents' phone calls by asking questions.
Try not to let negative thoughts distract you from your goals.
Avoid letting pessimism prevent you from achieving your objectives.
Can be used both intentionally (e.g., to divert attention) or unintentionally (e.g., being easily distracted).
Collocations
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
💡Pro Tip
Common Collocations
Use 'distract from' to indicate what is being diverted (e.g., 'distract from work') and 'distract by' to indicate the method (e.g., 'distract by asking questions').
⚡Gold Rule
Intentional vs. Unintentional
The word can describe both intentional actions (e.g., 'She distracted him on purpose') and unintentional actions (e.g., 'He was easily distracted by noise').
📖Word Origin
From Latin 'distractus', past participle of 'distrahere' (to pull apart), from 'dis-' (apart) + 'trahere' (to pull).
📝Usage Notes
Often used in contexts involving attention, focus, or concentration. Can be used both positively (e.g., distracting someone from bad news) or negatively (e.g., being easily distracted).