Distract
verb
To divert someone's attention from something important or to interfere with concentration.
The noise outside was starting to distract me from my studies.
Often appears as...
- distract from
- distract with
verb
To make someone feel worried or uneasy, causing lack of concentration or focus.
I find that having a cluttered desk can really distract me.
Often appears as...
- distract by
- distract with
verb
To provide a pleasant diversion or a form of amusement to divert one's attention.
I tried to distract the crying child by making funny faces.
Often appears as...
- distract from
- distract with
verb
In psychology, to divert the attention of the conscious mind to manage or treat a particular condition.
Therapists use certain techniques to distract the patient from negative thoughts.
Often appears as...
- distract from
- distract with
Usage tips
Academic
verb
In law, to seize the properties of a person for the purpose of applying them to the public use.
The court can distract their property if they fail to pay taxes.
Usage tips
Formal
Legal
verb
To divert someone's attention from something important or to interfere with concentration.
The noise outside was starting to distract me from my studies.
Often appears as...
- distract from
- distract with
verb
To make someone feel worried or uneasy, causing lack of concentration or focus.
I find that having a cluttered desk can really distract me.
Often appears as...
- distract by
- distract with
verb
To provide a pleasant diversion or a form of amusement to divert one's attention.
I tried to distract the crying child by making funny faces.
Often appears as...
- distract from
- distract with
verb
In psychology, to divert the attention of the conscious mind to manage or treat a particular condition.
Therapists use certain techniques to distract the patient from negative thoughts.
Often appears as...
- distract from
- distract with
Usage tips
Academic
verb
In law, to seize the properties of a person for the purpose of applying them to the public use.
The court can distract their property if they fail to pay taxes.
Usage tips
Formal
Legal
Definition 1 of 5
Pro Tip 1/2Avoid Multitasking
Using 'distract' implies that multitasking can reduce the quality of work or study.
Watching TV will distract you from doing your homework effectively.
Pro Tip 2/2Interruption Impact
Emphasize how unexpected events can distract and disrupt focus.
Sirens outside distract me during the exam, making it hard to concentrate.
Pro Tip 1/2Avoid Multitasking
Using 'distract' implies that multitasking can reduce the quality of work or study.
Watching TV will distract you from doing your homework effectively.
Pro Tip 2/2Interruption Impact
Emphasize how unexpected events can distract and disrupt focus.
Sirens outside distract me during the exam, making it hard to concentrate.
Pro Tip 1/2Avoid Multitasking
Using 'distract' implies that multitasking can reduce the quality of work or study.
Watching TV will distract you from doing your homework effectively.
Pro Tip 2/2Interruption Impact
Emphasize how unexpected events can distract and disrupt focus.
Sirens outside distract me during the exam, making it hard to concentrate.
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Video examples
What is déjà vu? What is...
when our brain subliminally takes in an environment while we're distracted by one particular object. When our attention returns, we feel as if we've been here before. For example, just now you focused on the fork and didn't observe the tablecloth or the falling waiter. Although your brain has been recording everything in your peripheral vision,
Video examples
Elon Musk talks Twitter,...
you have so much to offer the world on the upside on the vision side don't don't waste your time getting getting distracted by these these battles that bring out negativity and and and make people feel that you're being defensive or like people don't like fights especially with with powerful government authorities they'd
Video examples
Act like a car PIPE Nathan...
about something else because you're distracted and you're in a big city you can get hurt more than that more than that you might miss something really important and this is what anyone leads you leave you with to prepare for impact you might be missing your soulmate if you're looking down at your phone
Video examples
A simple way to break a...
So we can help them tap into their inherent capacity to be curiously aware right when that urge to smoke or stress eat or whatever arises. So if you don't smoke or stress eat, maybe the next time you feel this urge to check your email when you're bored, or you're trying to distract yourself from work,
Video examples
What’s that ringing in...
that distract the brain from the tinnitus sound. Another, called energetic masking, uses sounds with the same frequency as the patient’s tinnitus to occupy the neurons that would otherwise deliver the tinnitus signal. Practiced alongside counseling, these interventions allow people to re-evaluate
Video examples
How does the Rorschach...
but rather, how they approached the task. Which parts of the image did they focus on or ignore? Did they see the image moving? Did the color on some inkblots help them give better answers, or distract and overwhelm them?
Video examples
Robert Waldinger: What...
Studies like this are exceedingly rare. Almost all projects of this kind fall apart within a decade because too many people drop out of the study, or funding for the research dries up, or the researchers get distracted,
Video examples
Could You Pass the...
by one each young man steps up to the sacred pole and submits his hands to the swarm their agony is unmistakable to help distract them the medicine man leads them in a dance around the pole to
Video examples
John Bohannon: Dance vs....
and like any tool, it can and will be abused. To borrow a concept from my country's CIA, it helps you to soften up your audience. It distracts them with pretty pictures, irrelevant data.
Video examples
Unbelievable Bird...
one distracts as the other steals the jewels spy bowerbird can only observe as they clean out the bower gem by precious gem back home with their stolen goods they
Video examples
What is déjà vu? What is...
when our brain subliminally takes in an environment while we're distracted by one particular object. When our attention returns, we feel as if we've been here before. For example, just now you focused on the fork and didn't observe the tablecloth or the falling waiter. Although your brain has been recording everything in your peripheral vision,
Video examples
Elon Musk talks Twitter,...
you have so much to offer the world on the upside on the vision side don't don't waste your time getting getting distracted by these these battles that bring out negativity and and and make people feel that you're being defensive or like people don't like fights especially with with powerful government authorities they'd
Video examples
Act like a car PIPE Nathan...
about something else because you're distracted and you're in a big city you can get hurt more than that more than that you might miss something really important and this is what anyone leads you leave you with to prepare for impact you might be missing your soulmate if you're looking down at your phone
Video examples
A simple way to break a...
So we can help them tap into their inherent capacity to be curiously aware right when that urge to smoke or stress eat or whatever arises. So if you don't smoke or stress eat, maybe the next time you feel this urge to check your email when you're bored, or you're trying to distract yourself from work,
Video examples
What’s that ringing in...
that distract the brain from the tinnitus sound. Another, called energetic masking, uses sounds with the same frequency as the patient’s tinnitus to occupy the neurons that would otherwise deliver the tinnitus signal. Practiced alongside counseling, these interventions allow people to re-evaluate
Video examples
How does the Rorschach...
but rather, how they approached the task. Which parts of the image did they focus on or ignore? Did they see the image moving? Did the color on some inkblots help them give better answers, or distract and overwhelm them?
Video examples
Robert Waldinger: What...
Studies like this are exceedingly rare. Almost all projects of this kind fall apart within a decade because too many people drop out of the study, or funding for the research dries up, or the researchers get distracted,
Video examples
Could You Pass the...
by one each young man steps up to the sacred pole and submits his hands to the swarm their agony is unmistakable to help distract them the medicine man leads them in a dance around the pole to
Video examples
John Bohannon: Dance vs....
and like any tool, it can and will be abused. To borrow a concept from my country's CIA, it helps you to soften up your audience. It distracts them with pretty pictures, irrelevant data.
Video examples
Unbelievable Bird...
one distracts as the other steals the jewels spy bowerbird can only observe as they clean out the bower gem by precious gem back home with their stolen goods they
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Elon Musk
South African Businessman
The X is an amazing car, but we kind of got carried away with the art and technology. Obviously, you want great art. You want great technology. But we did get a little distracted from our mission, which was to advance the cause of electric vehicles. And it probably delayed us a little bit with the Model 3 as well.
Quote examples
Geoff Ryman
Canadian Writer
The trouble with writing for the web is that writing is about getting people to forget they're reading. Anything that reminds them they are reading, or which annoys or distracts them, bounces them out of the world. And the web, it seems to me, is all bounce. A very, very difficult medium to write for.
Quote examples
Isaac Wright Jr.
When I went through what I was going through in prison, one of the things that was very distracting was the issue that it's a very dangerous environment. Moving through that process, I had to develop such an intense focus that I had to change my character and be someone else.
Quote examples
Viola Davis
American Actress
I've been online doing all kinds of research and that seems to be the constant criticism, that Aibileen's accent was just too thick. And for me, I don't want anything to distract from the character.
Quote examples
Ilaiyaraaja
Indian Musician
You may go to the temple for mental peace. But you may be distracted there and forget the purpose of your visit. But this does not happen when you hear good music.
Quote examples
Jason Marsden
American Actor
I'm more of a visual person, but I think that reading's extremely important. But I'm very easily distracted. It takes certain books to really grab you in.
Quote examples
Jessica Long
American Athlete
I think in today's world, we're so busy, and we're so distracted. But it's also really important to slow down.
Quote examples
Joyce Meyer
American Author
I think the perception of peace is what distracts most people from really having it.
Quote examples
Nik Wallenda
American Entertainer
I've trained all my life not to be distracted by distractions.
Quote examples
Boz Scaggs
American Musician
I'm easily distracted by other things in the world around me.
Quote examples
Elon Musk
South African Businessman
The X is an amazing car, but we kind of got carried away with the art and technology. Obviously, you want great art. You want great technology. But we did get a little distracted from our mission, which was to advance the cause of electric vehicles. And it probably delayed us a little bit with the Model 3 as well.
Quote examples
Geoff Ryman
Canadian Writer
The trouble with writing for the web is that writing is about getting people to forget they're reading. Anything that reminds them they are reading, or which annoys or distracts them, bounces them out of the world. And the web, it seems to me, is all bounce. A very, very difficult medium to write for.
Quote examples
Isaac Wright Jr.
When I went through what I was going through in prison, one of the things that was very distracting was the issue that it's a very dangerous environment. Moving through that process, I had to develop such an intense focus that I had to change my character and be someone else.
Quote examples
Viola Davis
American Actress
I've been online doing all kinds of research and that seems to be the constant criticism, that Aibileen's accent was just too thick. And for me, I don't want anything to distract from the character.
Quote examples
Ilaiyaraaja
Indian Musician
You may go to the temple for mental peace. But you may be distracted there and forget the purpose of your visit. But this does not happen when you hear good music.
Quote examples
Jason Marsden
American Actor
I'm more of a visual person, but I think that reading's extremely important. But I'm very easily distracted. It takes certain books to really grab you in.
Quote examples
Jessica Long
American Athlete
I think in today's world, we're so busy, and we're so distracted. But it's also really important to slow down.
Quote examples
Joyce Meyer
American Author
I think the perception of peace is what distracts most people from really having it.
Quote examples
Nik Wallenda
American Entertainer
I've trained all my life not to be distracted by distractions.
Quote examples
Boz Scaggs
American Musician
I'm easily distracted by other things in the world around me.
Example 1 of 10
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