tr.v. dis·tract·ed, dis·tract·ing, dis·tracts 1. To cause (someone) to have difficulty paying attention to something: The voices in the other room distracted him, so he couldn't concentrate on his homework. 2. To attract (the attention) away from its original focus; divert. 3. To cause to feel worried or uneasy; unsettle: The company's workforce was distracted by the prospect of a takeover. [Middle English distracten, from Latin distrahere, distract-, to pull away : dis-, apart; see DIS- + trahere, to draw.] dis·tract′i·bili·ty n. dis·tracti·ble adj. dis·tracting·ly adv. dis·tractive adj. |
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