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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Distract: Meaning, Examples, and Usage Guide (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：divert attention (distract)

distract 🔊

/dɪˈstrækt/

vt.

To take someone's attention away from what they are doing, so they stop focusing on it.

Distract meaning: student distracted by phone notifications while studying

divert attention 🔊

➕

/dɪˈvɜːrt əˈtenʃn/

vt.

To cause someone to stop paying attention to what they were doing or thinking about.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'dis-' (apart) + 'trahere' (to pull), meaning to pull attention away.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'dis' (away) + 'tract' (pull) = pull your mind away from the task.

📖 Example

The constant notifications from my phone distract me whenever I try to study. 🔊 The constant notifications from my phone distract me whenever I try to study.

🔗 Collocations

distract from – To take attention away from a particular activity or thought.

easily distracted – Prone to having one's attention diverted.

distract someone with something – To use something to divert someone's attention.

🔄 Synonyms

divert (vt.) – To cause someone or something to change direction or focus.

disturb (vt.) – To interrupt or break the concentration of someone.

disrupt (vt.) – To cause disorder or interruption to a process or activity.

🚫 Antonyms

focus (v.) – To concentrate attention or effort on something.

concentrate (v.) – To direct one's attention or mental effort on a particular object or activity.

🌱 Derivatives

distraction (n.) – Something that distracts; an interruption of attention.

distracted (adj.) – Unable to concentrate because one's mind is on other things.

distractedly (adv.) – In a way that shows lack of concentration.

📖 Cultural Story

Latin 'distrahere' (pull apart). Shifted from physical to mental diversion by the 16th century.

Meaning 2：intentionally divert attention (distract)

distract 🔊

/dɪˈstrækt/

vt.

To deliberately try to stop someone from noticing or thinking about something, often by giving them something else to look at or think about.

Distract example: parent using toy to distract child from hot mug

intentionally divert attention 🔊

➕

/ɪnˈtenʃənəli dɪˈvɜːrt əˈtenʃn/

vt.

To deliberately give someone something else to think about in order to prevent them from realizing or worrying about something.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

To calm the crying toddler, his mother tried to distract him with his favorite cartoon. 🔊 To calm the crying toddler, his mother tried to distract him with his favorite cartoon.

🔗 Collocations

distract someone from their worries – To divert someone's attention away from their concerns.

distract with entertainment – To use enjoyable activities to divert attention.

distract the audience – To deliberately shift the focus of a group of people.

🔄 Synonyms

divert (vt.) – To cause someone to change focus, often intentionally.

engage (vt.) – To capture and hold someone's attention, especially to distract from something else.

occupy (vt.) – To keep someone busy or interested, preventing them from thinking about other things.

🚫 Antonyms

acknowledge (vt.) – To recognize or admit the existence of something, rather than avoiding it.

confront (vt.) – To face a difficult situation directly, instead of avoiding it.

🌱 Derivatives

distraction (n.) – Something that distracts; an interruption of attention.

distracted (adj.) – Unable to concentrate because one's mind is on other things.

distractedly (adv.) – In a way that shows lack of concentration.