distract — to take someone's attention away from what they are doing or thinking about
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to take someone's attention away from what they are doing or thinking about
Pronunciation (IPA): /dɪˈstrækt/
Example Sentences
- My cat keeps trying to distract me by walking across my keyboard during online classes.
- Don't let social media distract you from your goals.
- He tried to distract the teacher by asking about her weekend plans during the math test.
distract
VERB[/dɪˈstrækt/]
to take someone's attention away from what they are doing or thinking about
The loud music distracted the driver, making him lose focus on the road.
The sudden announcement distracted the student and pulled her attention away from the difficult math problem. (DIS- = APART / AWAY +TRACT = DRAW / PULL)
Bright lights attract the crowd, loud music distracts them, and the theater curtains contract as the show begins.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'distrahere', composed of 'dis-' (apart) and 'trahere' (to draw or pull). The word entered English in the 15th century through Old French.
Breakdown
dis- (apart, away) + tract (draw, pull, from Latin trahere) = distract (to draw attention away)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat keeps trying to distract me by walking across my keyboard during online classes.”
“Don't let social media distract you from your goals.”
“He tried to distract the teacher by asking about her weekend plans during the math test.”
“The noise from construction work distracted the whole class.”
📚Related Words
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