distract
Translation
divert attention, sidetrack
Examples
The loud music distracted me from my work.
The loud music distracted me from my work.
Don't distract the driver.
Don't distract the driver.
Grammar Patterns
((to distract sb.)) (to divert sb.'s attention) Please don't distract me.
((to distract sb. from sth.)) (to divert sb.'s attention from sth.) The noise distracted him from his book.
Similar Words
Synonyms: divert, sidetrack; Antonyms: focus, concentrate
Etymology
From Latin 'dis-' (apart) and 'trahere' (to draw, pull). It means to 'draw away' someone's attention.
Memory Tips
Think of your attention being 'pulled' (tract) 'apart' (dis) from what you are trying to do.