Distraire (en. Distract)
/dis.tʁɛʁ/
Meaning & Definition
EnglishFrench
verb
To divert someone's attention.
The outside noises managed to distract the students during the class.
Les bruits extérieurs ont réussi à distraire les élèves pendant le cours.
To remove the mind from a concern.
She read a book to distract herself from her worries.
Elle a lu un livre pour se distraire de ses soucis.
To entertain someone.
He tried to distract his friend with jokes.
Il a tenté de distraire son ami avec des blagues.
Etymology
From the Latin 'distrahere', meaning 'to pull apart'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
to distract oneself
To engage in pleasant activities to pass the time.
se distraire
to distract someone from
To divert someone from their thoughts or concerns.
distraire quelqu'un de
Related Words
distracted
Someone who is not attentive, who is easily distracted.
distrait
distraction
The act of distracting or the effect of what distracts.
distraction
Slang Meanings
To let oneself be pulled into trivial matters.
He spends his days distracting himself instead of working.
Il passe ses journées à se distraire au lieu de travailler.
To waste one's time.
Stop distracting yourself with video games and focus on your studies.
Arrête de te distraire avec des jeux vidéo et concentre-toi sur tes études.