verb

• 1Prevent (someone) from concentrating on something.

  ‘don't allow noise to distract you from your work’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Reverting back to a glossary distracts a reader from concentrating on the science in an article.’
  • ‘It distracted him enough to prevent a quick victory, but not enough to let Jeremy win.’
  • ‘Now I'm rambling, but these thoughts distract me from concentrating on my work and I must let them out.’
  • ‘For a split second utter confusion distracted me from my misery.’
  • ‘I don't know if we've got enough bananas to distract him.’
  • ‘The more extraneous items you cram on a web page, the more you confuse and distract the visitor.’
  • ‘The latter keeps the display from distracting the driver when he should be concentrating on more important tasks.’
  • ‘You may be able to prevent your child from having an outburst by distracting him or her with toys or other activities.’
  • ‘And I believe this devotion to sport distracts people from their own lives, making it by definition an opiate of masses.’
  • ‘In truth, the emphasis on individual feelings distracts people from thinking about and caring for their communities.’
  • ‘There is some softness to the image that becomes a bit distracting at times.’
  • ‘I have to admit, while a nice attempt, it is a bit distracting at times.’
  • ‘The color should not distract your reader from the main points of your site.’
  • ‘However, Coleman's limited critique should not distract readers from recognizing the broader legal landscape depicted in the article.’
  • ‘A small amount of softness permeates the image, though overall it's never overly distracting to the viewing.’
  • ‘And there's no perfect person who's going to distract you long enough.’
  • ‘The police have even condemned certain billboard adverts for distracting drivers resulting in more crashes.’
  • ‘For the most part the colors and image are solid, with little to distract the viewer.’
  • ‘Traci distracted the ref and Douglas hit Daniels with a chain.’
  • ‘I did notice a small amount of softness in one scene, though it won't be distracting to the viewing.’

  Synonyms

  disturbing, unsettling, intrusive, disconcerting, bothersome, confusing

  divert, deflect, sidetrack, turn aside, turn away, draw away

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1Divert (attention) from something.
     ‘it was another attempt to distract attention from the truth’
     More example sentences

     • ‘There is always a danger that new hi-tech systems will distract attention and divert energies from effective policing.’
     • ‘Remember, Gilligan made possible Alastair Campbell's diversionary tactic that distracted attention from the argument about the need for war.’
     • ‘The use of fashions in thought is to distract the attention of men from their real dangers.’
     • ‘Milling over the thought too much would distract my attention so I averted myself back to the problem at hand.’
     • ‘Women have reason to be relieved that Parliament's attention was distracted.’
     • ‘Some were suggesting that his interest was overblown to distract attention from the company's poor trading statement.’
     • ‘It has nearly caused three accidents already because it distracts motorists' attention.’
     • ‘Striking the martyr pose is good public relations because it distracts attention from the real issues.’
     • ‘They suffer from a semi-religious monomania which distracts attention from the major issues in their field.’
     • ‘As traffic safety managers see it, the use of a cellphone distracts the attention of the driver from the main task of driving.’
     • ‘At the same time, we should not allow it to distract attention from the need for reform of the SIS's general oversight provisions.’
     • ‘He's only trying to distract attention from all his problems at home.’
     • ‘The people, however, provided enough colour in the way they dressed to distract my attention from the rundown streets.’
     • ‘Don't let the infamous bag lady distract your attention from the real issues.’
     • ‘A large rumbling noise distracted their attention for a moment.’
     • ‘"It distracts from the real issues facing our community, " he says.’
     • ‘The kind of event meant to distract from a glaring budget fact.’
     • ‘The videos apparently distract the viewer's attention from the song to the meaningless portrayal of carnal desires.’
  2. 1.2distract oneselfDivert one's attention from something unpleasant by doing something different or more pleasurable.
     ‘I tried to distract myself by concentrating on Jane’
     More example sentences

     • ‘They walked in silence into the woods, and Jonathon focused most of his attention on the scenery to distract himself.’
     • ‘So, are you so over-committed because you're distracting yourself from the absurdity and meaninglessness of life?’
     • ‘You are thinking incredibly wrongly and are only distracting yourself from enjoying the rest of this.’
     • ‘The day, or the week, is spent distracting myself.’
     • ‘I found this while distracting myself at my friend Jas's site.’
     • ‘I was distracting myself from utter frustration with a project and surfing the blogroll.’
     • ‘The rest of the time I kept on distracting myself by looking at the trees through the big window behind her.’
     • ‘So anyway, I distracted myself until I decided that the distraction could be a school in and of itself.’
     • ‘Don't waste energy fruitlessly pursuing it; distract yourself with something productive, be it whittling, knitting or washing dishes.’
     • ‘Sometimes all you can do is distract yourself until it passes.’
  3. 1.3archaic Perplex and bewilder.
     More example sentences

     • ‘horror and doubt distract His troubl'd thoughts’