Distracted

/dɪsˈtræktɪd/

Meaning & Definition

verb

past tense of distract; to have diverted someone's attention.

The unexpected noise distracted him from finishing his report.

having been caused to lose focus or attention.

She felt that the bright lights had distracted her during the performance.

adjective

having one's attention diverted; unable to concentrate.

She was so distracted by her phone that she couldn't pay attention in class.

emotionally or mentally disturbed or confused.

After the breakup, he often seemed distracted during conversations.

From Latin 'distrahere', meaning 'to draw apart'.

distracted driving:

Driving while unable to focus due to external factors.

easily distracted:

Quickly losing concentration on a task.

Out of it

He was so out of it during the meeting, we thought he wasn't paying attention.

Zoned out

I completely zoned out during that lecture.