distracted
adjective
dis·tract·ed di-ˈstrak-təd 
1
: having one's thoughts or attention drawn away : unable to concentrate or give attention to something
a distracted driver
… everyone else … is too distracted to see how lost and yearning she has become …
Richard Schickel
Richard Schickel… used to get so distracted by cellphone conversations overheard on the bus that she couldn't focus on reading. Roni Caryn Rabin
Roni Caryn Rabin2
: harassed, confused, or deranged especially by strong feelings
a mind distracted by grief
… putting that poor gentleman through a course of questions that nearly drove him distracted. Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott distractedly adverb
distractedness noun
Synonyms
- agitated
- delirious
- distrait
- distraught
- frantic
- frenzied
- hysterical
- hysteric
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
If you're feeling distracted, take a break. she's been distracted about her son ever since he left on that polar expedition
Recent Examples on the Web To his credit, when not too distracted with work, Peter does try to communicate with his son. Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2022 He’s played by Red Rocket’s Simon Rex in flowy robes and with the perfect blend of distracted cluelessness and hucksterism. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Aug. 2022 Doing so would require Japan to assume the expense and risk of acquiring and sustaining an independent military capability—thereby freeing itself from having to hedge bets on a provocative China or a distracted America. Richard J. Samuels, WSJ, 28 July 2022 Many major cities in mainland China have equipped crosswalks with LED lights that shine up from the road to keep distracted jaywalkers alert. Dylan Butts, NBC News, 25 July 2022 But what the Apache research showed, and decades of subsequent research on automobile distraction has confirmed, is that the distracted driving problem is more than mere distraction. Russ Mitchellstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2022 And so my English falters, becomes distracted and nervous. Ling Ma, The New Yorker, 4 July 2022 Another clear contributor to the dramatic recent rise in deaths is the persistent and still-spreading scourge of distracted driving. Dale Buss, Forbes, 1 June 2022 The organization raises awareness of distracted driving — in part by teaching teens to separate from their phones and was created by friends of cyclist, Merritt Levitan, was killed in broad daylight by a texting driver in 2013. Pam Mcloughlin, Hartford Courant, 2 Aug. 2022 See More
Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2022 He’s played by Red Rocket’s Simon Rex in flowy robes and with the perfect blend of distracted cluelessness and hucksterism. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Aug. 2022 Doing so would require Japan to assume the expense and risk of acquiring and sustaining an independent military capability—thereby freeing itself from having to hedge bets on a provocative China or a distracted America. Richard J. Samuels, WSJ, 28 July 2022 Many major cities in mainland China have equipped crosswalks with LED lights that shine up from the road to keep distracted jaywalkers alert. Dylan Butts, NBC News, 25 July 2022 But what the Apache research showed, and decades of subsequent research on automobile distraction has confirmed, is that the distracted driving problem is more than mere distraction. Russ Mitchellstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2022 And so my English falters, becomes distracted and nervous. Ling Ma, The New Yorker, 4 July 2022 Another clear contributor to the dramatic recent rise in deaths is the persistent and still-spreading scourge of distracted driving. Dale Buss, Forbes, 1 June 2022 The organization raises awareness of distracted driving — in part by teaching teens to separate from their phones and was created by friends of cyclist, Merritt Levitan, was killed in broad daylight by a texting driver in 2013. Pam Mcloughlin, Hartford Courant, 2 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1576, in the meaning defined at sense 2
distracted 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in agitated
feeling overwhelming fear or worry she's been distracted about her son ever since he left on that polar expedition Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- agitated
- distraught
- worried
- frightened
- scared
- frantic
- terrified
- upset
- alarmed
- anxious
- horrified
- disturbed
- delirious
- troubled
- alarmed
- hysterical
- hysteric
- distrait
- frenzied
- perturbed
- nervous
- disquieted
- spooked
- beside oneself
- terrorized
- crazed
- aghast
- fearful
- tense
- mad
- deranged
- maniac
- demented
- affrighted
- maniacal
- berserk
- ranting
- raging
- wrought (up)
- nuclear
- raving
- ballistic
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- collected
- recollected
- composed
- calm
- peaceful
- serene
- tranquil
- unperturbed
- self-possessed
- placid
- undisturbed
- unworried
- untroubled
- self-composed
- cool
- self-collected
- unhysterical
- self-possessed
- unshaken
- coolheaded
2
as in preoccupied
lost in thought and unaware of one's surroundings or actions the distracted driver rear-ended the pickup truck that had stopped for the red light Synonyms & Similar Words
- preoccupied
- confused
- dazed
- bewildered
- absentminded
- absent
- abstracted
- engrossed
- absorbed
- oblivious
- inattentive
- forgetful
- daydreaming
- unaware
- forgetting
- pensive
- unfocused
- rapt
- dreaming
- unmindful
- befuddled
- intent
- muddled
- faraway
- heedless
- dreamy
- scatterbrained
- unconscious
- bemused
- unheeding
- unperceptive
- clueless
- unwitting
- unthinking
- unfocussed
- unknowing
- flighty
- foggy
- unwary
- vacant
- befogged
- hazy
- insensible
- birdbrained
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- engaged
- alert
- aware
- conscious
- attentive
- mindful
- wary
- watchful
- vigilant
- alive
- observant
- observing
- sharp
- heedful
- clearheaded
- wide-awake
- open-eyed
- heads-up
3
as in confused
suffering from mental confusion she's been chronically depressed and distracted since her husband's death Synonyms & Similar Words
- confused
- dazed
- bewildered
- stunned
- dizzy
- befuddled
- silly
- bemused
- stupefied
- fogged
- addled
- bedeviled
- confounded
- zonked
- muddleheaded
- dopey
- raddled
- at sea
- pixilated
- punchy
- spacey
- addlepated
- befogged
- addle
- unconscious
- slaphappy
- pixillated
- bushed
- spaced
- muzzy
- shell-shocked
- punch-drunk
- zonked-out
- mixed-up
- spacy
- dopy
- spaced-out
- out of it
- senseless
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- conscious
- alert
- clearheaded
distracted
2 of 2verb
1
as in diverted
to draw the attention or mind to something else we were distracted from our discussion by the noise outside Synonyms & Similar Words
- diverted
- amused
- detracted
- abstracted
- entertained
- threw off
- wandered
- strayed
- called off
- beguiled
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- focused
- concentrated
- focussed
2
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy distracted by the looming tax deadline Synonyms & Similar Words
- alarmed
- disturbed
- bothered
- concerned
- worried
- agitated
- unsettled
- annoyed
- angered
- upset
- distressed
- irritated
- perturbed
- disquieted
- plagued
- frazzled
- discomforted
- confused
- derailed
- dismayed
- haunted
- flurried
- discomposed
- embarrassed
- unhinged
- rattled
- fussed
- distempered
- exasperated
- exercised
- aggravated
- ailed
- harried
- harassed
- flustered
- discouraged
- irked
- weirded out
- vexed
- peeved
- bugged
- riled
- pestered
- undid
- disconcerted
- nettled
- got
- piqued
- mortified
- hagrode
- discomfited
- nonplussed
- bedeviled
- fretted
- alarumed
- freaked (out)
- unnerved
- jarred
- chafed
- confounded
- dispirited
- abashed
- chivvied
- disheartened
- put out
- fazed
- put off
- grated
- demoralized
- galled
- daunted
- chivied
- discountenanced
- shook up
- nonplused
- vext
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- calmed
- quieted
- soothed
- settled
- composed
- tranquilized
- pacified
- alleviated
- placated
- tranquillized
- appeased
- allayed
- assuaged
- mollified
- conciliated
- propitiated
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of distracted are absentminded, absent, abstracted, and preoccupied. While all these words mean "inattentive to what claims or demands consideration," distracted may suggest an inability to concentrate caused by worry, sorrow, or anxiety.
was too distracted by grief to continue working
The meanings of absent and distracted largely overlap; however, absent stresses inability to fix the mind on present concerns due more to mental wandering than to concentration on other matters.
an absent stare
In some situations, the words absentminded and distracted are roughly equivalent. However, absentminded implies that the mind is fixed elsewhere and often refers to a habit of abstractedness.
so absentminded, he's been known to wear mismatched shoes
The words abstracted and distracted are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, abstracted implies absorption of the mind in something other than one's surroundings, and often suggests reflection on weighty matters.
walking about with an abstracted air
While the synonyms preoccupied and distracted are close in meaning, preoccupied often implies having one's attention so taken up by thoughts as to neglect others.
too preoccupied with her debts to enjoy the meal