# distracted

/dɪˈstɹæktəd/ (US) · /dɪstɹˈæktɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/distracted
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. unable to focus

adjective · CEFR B1

unable to pay attention to something because you are thinking about other things.

For teachers: having the attention diverted from a primary task or focus; preoccupied with secondary thoughts or stimuli.

- He was so distracted by his phone that he missed his bus stop.
- The student appeared increasingly distracted during the lecture, frequently glancing at the clock and doodling in the margins of her notebook.

### 2. extremely upset

adjective · CEFR C2 · Literary

very worried or upset, often so much that you cannot think clearly.

For teachers: mentally or emotionally agitated to the point of being unable to function normally; synonymous with distraught.

- The family was distracted with grief after hearing the terrible news.
- In the final act of the play, the distracted king wanders the cliffs, his mind broken by the betrayal of his daughters.

### 3. past action of diverting attention

verb · CEFR B1

the past tense of 'distract', meaning you took someone's attention away from something.

For teachers: the past tense and past participle of the transitive verb 'distract', meaning to draw away the mind or attention.

- The bright lights distracted the driver for a few seconds.
- The sudden commotion in the hallway distracted the board members from the financial presentation, causing a significant delay in the vote.

Usage: As a verb, it is transitive and requires an object.

## Examples

- I felt distracted by the loud music next door.
- She tried to finish the report, but she was too distracted by the news she had received that morning.
- Drivers who are distracted by mobile devices are significantly more likely to miss critical visual cues, leading to a higher incidence of avoidable accidents on the road.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.