Definition Definition

distract - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'distract' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Distract [ a.]
- Separated; drawn asunder.
- Insane; mad.
2 . Distract [ v. t.]
- To draw apart or away; to divide; to disjoin.
- To draw (the sight, mind, or attention) in different directions; to perplex; to confuse; as, to distract the eye; to distract the attention.
- To agitate by conflicting passions, or by a variety of motives or of cares; to confound; to harass.
- To unsettle the reason of; to render insane; to craze; to madden; -- most frequently used in the participle, distracted.

Meaning of 'distract' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . distract [ v]
Meaning (1):
- draw someone's attention away from something
Example in sentence:
  • He deflected his competitors;
  • The thief distracted the bystanders
Meaning (2):
- disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed
Example in sentence:
  • She was rather perturbed by the news that her father was seriously ill