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Added 9 October 2026

distract

/dɪˈstɹækt/ verb

In Latin: distrahō, distringō Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about distract at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To divert the attention of.
The crowd was distracted by a helicopter hovering over the stadium when the only goal of the game was scored.
To divert (attention).
To make crazy or insane; to drive to distraction.

adjective

Drawn asunder; separated.
Insane, mad.

Origin

Borrowed from Latin distractus, from distrahō (“to pull apart”), from dis- + trahō (“to pull”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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