English Meaning & Definitions
Unable to concentrate or focus because one's mind is preoccupied with other thoughts or external stimuli.
- “He was so distracted by his phone that he didn't notice the traffic light had turned green.”
- “The teacher tried to regain the attention of the distracted students.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “distracted”.
Derived from the Latin 'distractus', the past participle of 'distrahere', meaning 'to pull in different directions'. The prefix 'dis-' (apart) combined with 'trahere' (to draw or pull) perfectly captures the mental state of having one's attention pulled away from a primary focus.
Think of 'dis-traction': your focus is 'dis' (disconnected) and 'tracted' (pulled) away.
Frequently Asked Questions About “distracted”
1. What is the meaning of “distracted” in English?
In English, distracted (adjective) is defined as: “Unable to concentrate or focus because one's mind is preoccupied with other thoughts or external stimuli.”.
2. How do you use “distracted” in a sentence?
“He was so distracted by his phone that he didn't notice the traffic light had turned green.”
3. What are English synonyms of “distracted”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “distracted”?
Derived from the Latin 'distractus', the past participle of 'distrahere', meaning 'to pull in different directions'. The prefix 'dis-' (apart) combined with 'trahere' (to draw or pull) perfectly captures the mental state of having one's attention pulled away from a primary focus.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.