verb
distract
dih-STRAKT
verb
1
To pull someone's attention away from what they should be focusing on.
"The noise outside distracted the students during the exam."
"Don't let your phone distract you while driving."
How to Use Distract
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo draw someone's focus away from the thing they're supposed to be doing.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
distract someone from
easily distracted
distract attention
Word Forms
distracted past tense, distracts singular
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The noise outside _____ the students during the exam.
Etymology
From Latin distractus, past participle of distrahere, "to pull apart," from dis- ("apart") and trahere ("to pull," also seen in tractor and traction).