Adjacent Words

Distract definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DISTRACT, v.t. [L., to draw. See draw and drag. The old participle distraught is obsolete.]
1. Literally, to draw apart; to pull in different directions, and separate. Hence, to divide; to separate; and hence, to throw into confusion. Sometimes in a literal sense. Contradictory or mistaken orders may distract an army.
2. To turn or draw from any object; to divert from any point, towards another point or toward various other objects; as, to distract the eye or the attention.
If he cannot avoid the eye of the observer, he hopes to distract it by a multiplicity of the object.
3. To draw towards different objects; to fill with different considerations; to perplex; to confound; to harass; as, to distract the mind with cares; you distract me with your clamor.
While I suffer thy terrors, I am distracted. Psalms 88.
4. To disorder the reason; the derange the regular operations of intellect; to render raving or furious; most frequently used in the participle distracted.
DISTRACT, a. Mad. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: draw someone's attention away from something; "The thief distracted the bystanders"; "He deflected his competitors" [syn: distract, deflect]
2: disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed; "She was rather perturbed by the news that her father was seriously ill" [syn: perturb, unhinge, disquiet, trouble, cark, distract, disorder]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Date: 14th century archaic insane, mad II. transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Latin distractus, past participle of distrahere, literally, to draw apart, from dis- + trahere to draw Date: 14th century 1. a. to turn aside ; divert <refused to be distracted from her purpose> b. to draw or direct (as one's attention) to a different object or in different directions at the same time <was distracted by a sudden noise> 2. to stir up or confuse with conflicting emotions or motives Synonyms: see puzzle • distractibility noun • distractible also distractable adjective • distractingly adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 (often foll. by from) draw away the attention of (a person, the mind, etc.). 2 bewilder, perplex. 3 (as distracted adj.) mad or angry (distracted by grief; distracted with worry). 4 amuse, esp. in order to take the attention from pain or worry. Derivatives: distractedly adv. Etymology: ME f. L distrahere distract- (as DIS-, trahere draw)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Distract Dis*tract", a. [L. distractus, p. p. of distrahere to draw asunder; dis- + trahere to draw. See Trace, and cf. Distraught.] 1. Separated; drawn asunder. [Obs.] 2. Insane; mad. [Obs.] --Drayton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Distract Dis*tract", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distracted, old p. p. Distraught; p. pr. & vb. n. Distracting.] 1. To draw apart or away; to divide; to disjoin. A city . . . distracted from itself. --Fuller. 2. To draw (the sight, mind, or attention) in different directions; to perplex; to confuse; as, to distract the eye; to distract the attention. Mixed metaphors . . . distract the imagination. --Goldsmith. 3. To agitate by conflicting passions, or by a variety of motives or of cares; to confound; to harass. Horror and doubt distract His troubled thoughts. --Milton. 4. To unsettle the reason of; to render insane; to craze; to madden; -- most frequently used in the participle, distracted. A poor mad soul; . . . poverty hath distracted her. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(distracts, distracting, distracted) If something distracts you or your attention from something, it takes your attention away from it. Tom admits that playing video games sometimes distracts him from his homework... Don't let yourself be distracted by fashionable theories... A disturbance in the street distracted my attention. VERB: V n from n, be V-ed, V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Divert, draw away, turn aside. 2. Perplex, confuse, discompose, harass, disturb, disconcert, bewilder, confound, mystify, embarrass. 3. Craze, derange, drive frantic, drive beside one's self.

Moby Thesaurus

absorb, addle, agitate, amuse, ball up, befuddle, beguile, bemuse, bewilder, blunt, bother, bug, call away, chill, confound, confuse, convulse, cool, craze, damp, dampen, daze, deflect, delight, dement, derange, deter, detract, detract attention, disaffect, discompose, disconcert, discourage, disincline, disinterest, disturb, divert, divert the mind, drive insane, drive mad, embroil, engross, entertain, fluster, frenzy, fuddle, gratify, indispose, interest, mad, madden, make mad, mix up, mystify, occupy, perplex, perturb, psych, put off, puzzle, quench, rattle, repel, send mad, shatter, sidetrack, spook, throw, throw into confusion, throw off, trouble, turn aside, turn away, turn from, turn off, unbalance, unhinge, unsettle, upset, wean from