Meaning & use

distract

verb·Everyday

To draw someone's attention away from what they are supposed to be focusing on.

See it in a sentence

Loud music from next door kept distracting her from her homework.

Don't distract the driver by talking during the difficult turn.

A note on using this word

Distract takes a person as its object, as in distract him, rather than distract his attention, which is less natural.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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