What is another word for distract?

Synonyms for distract
dɪˈstræktdis·tract

This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word distract.

English Synonyms and Antonyms2.4 / 5 votes

  1. distractverb

    The central idea of withdrawing makes abstract in common speech a euphemism for appropriate (unlawfully), purloin, steal. In mental processes we discriminate between objects by distinguishing their differences; we separate some one element from all that does not necessarily belong to it, abstract it, and view it alone. We may separate two ideas, and hold both in mind in comparison or contrast; but when we abstract one of them, we drop the other out of thought. The mind is abstracted when it is withdrawn from all other subjects and concentrated upon one, diverted when it is drawn away from what it would or should attend to by some other interest, distracted when the attention is divided among different subjects, so that it can not be given properly to any. The trouble with the distracted person is that he is not abstracted. Compare DISCERN.

    Synonyms:
    abstract, appropriate, detach, discriminate, distinguish, divert, eliminate, purloin, remove, separate, steal, take away, withdraw

    Antonyms:
    add, combine, complete, conjoin, fill up, increase, restore, strengthen, unite

    Preposition:
    The purse may be abstracted from the pocket; the substance from the accidents; a book into a compend.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms1.7 / 3 votes

  1. distract

    Synonyms:
    divide, dissipate, dissever, disconcert, discompose, perplex, bewilder, convulse, madden, disturb

    Antonyms:
    unite, fix, concentrate, collect, compose

Princeton's WordNet3.0 / 2 votes

  1. distract, deflectverb

    draw someone's attention away from something

    "The thief distracted the bystanders"; "He deflected his competitors"

    Synonyms:
    forfend, unhinge, disorder, avert, ward off, disquiet, bend, obviate, perturb, fend off, stave off, block, debar, avoid, head off, forefend, parry, trouble, turn away, deflect, cark

  2. perturb, unhinge, disquiet, trouble, cark, distract, disorderverb

    disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed

    "She was rather perturbed by the news that her father was seriously ill"

    Synonyms:
    unhinge, disorder, perturb, inconvenience oneself, upset, inconvenience, ail, discommode, disquiet, bother, cark, deflect, put out, incommode, disoblige, pain, disarray, throw out of kilter, trouble, disturb, trouble oneself, derange

Dictionary of English Synonymes4.0 / 1 vote

  1. distractverb

    Synonyms:
    perplex, confuse, discompose, harass, disturb, disconcert, bewilder, confound, mystify, embarrass

PPDB, the paraphrase database0.0 / 0 votes

  1. List of paraphrases for "distract":

    divert, deflect, amuse, entertain, hijack, detract

How to pronounce distract?

How to say distract in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

rankingword
#1152appropriate
#1475abstract
#1651remove
#1662block
#1938pain
#2215avoid
#2228separate
#3124trouble
#5268disorder
#5808eliminate
#6506bend
#8328divide
#8683steal
#9423upset
#9936bother
#10269distinguish
#10524withdraw
#12281madden
#14008entertain
#14785inconvenience
#19611discriminate
#21866parry
#23336disturb
#26034divert
#28563hijack
#30316distract
#30654avert
#35327detach
#37190amuse
#38338detract
#43329ail
#44754deflect
#49275dissipate
#52905disarray
#79750obviate
#93318disquiet
#95211perplex
#104507cark
#112349perturb
#145048debar
#224053bewilder
#229027convulse
#311709disconcert
#332329forfend

How to use distract in a sentence?

  1. Adam Schiff:

    It certainly is an attempt to distract and to hide the origin of the materials, to hide the White House hand, the question is, of course, why? And I think the answer to the question is this effort to point the Congress in other directions, basically say, 'Don't look at me. Don't look at Russia. There is nothing to see here.'.

  2. Peter Ambler:

    The folks that have been skeptical about the politics of gun safety for a long time are the same ones who feel the gun debate needs to happen within the four corners of a compromise amendment from six years ago, the debate that we're seeing happen at the national level, whether we're talking about presidential politics or Congress, is derived from the fact that voters across the country are extremely angry at the status quo. ... The fact that our leaders are responding to that anger is of enormous benefit to our legislative efforts and doesn't distract( from them) in any way, shape or form.

  3. Doug Collins:

    They don't have the evidence, they haven't started an impeachment inquiry, and they're trying to distract from both these realities in the face of pressure from the far left.

  4. De Blasio:

    [ This ] is another way to distract [ the American people ] from an inhumane policy, threats by Trump Administration will not stop me from speaking out and wo n’t stop my fellow mayors from speaking out.

  5. James Ra-Amari:

    We're still interested in purchasing in that community because there's growth there, i'm not going to allow anyone to distract my wife and me from accomplishing the goals that we've set in place.


Translations for distract

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for distract »

Translation

Find a translation for the distract synonym in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Citation

Use the citation below to add these synonyms to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"distract." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/distract>.

Discuss these distract synonyms with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good synonym for distract?

    Image or illustration of

    distract

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant synonyms for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant synonyms for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Synonyms.com

    Quiz

    Are you a human thesaurus?

    »
    Which of the following words is not a synonym of the others?
    A chirpy
    B heavy
    C floaty
    D perky

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for distract: