# distracting

/dɪˈstɹæktɪŋ/ (US) · /dɪstɹˈæktɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/distracting
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. taking attention away

adjective · CEFR B1

making it hard for you to focus or pay attention to something important.

For teachers: causing a diversion of attention; interfering with a person's ability to maintain concentration on a primary task.

- The loud music from the apartment next door was very distracting while I tried to study.
- The constant flicker of the faulty overhead light proved so distracting that the researchers had to relocate to a different laboratory to finish their observations.

### 2. the action of diverting

verb · CEFR B2

the 'ing' form of the verb distract, used to describe the act of taking someone's attention away.

For teachers: the present participle of 'distract', used in continuous tenses to denote the active diversion of attention.

- He was distracting his little brother with a toy so their mother could finish her work.
- By deliberately distracting the guards with a series of false alarms, the group managed to bypass the primary security gate undetected.

## Examples

- The loud music is very distracting.
- Please close the door because the traffic noise is distracting.
- The constant pinging of notifications proved distracting, making it nearly impossible to finish the report before the deadline.

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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.