distracted
/dɪˈstræktɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈstræktɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈstrak-təd/ (ame, mw)
distracted — adjective
- distractedpositive
- more distractedcomparative
- most distractedsuperlative
1. not able to keep your mind on what you are doing, often because you are worried
not able to keep your mind on what you are doing, often because you are worried about something else, or because something keeps pulling your attention away from the task.
Mei kept making typing errors all morning because she was distracted by news from her sister's hospital.
be + distracted + by + [cause]
The librarian looked distracted as she sorted the books, her mind clearly somewhere else.
seem/look + distracted — appearance-based usage
Dmitri asked the teacher to repeat the question because he had been distracted by a loud noise outside.
With three kids running through the kitchen, the night-shift nurse felt too distracted to finish cooking.
Fatima tried to read the contract carefully, but the construction noise kept her distracted and frustrated.
- preoccupied
suggests your mind is fully occupied with a particular thought, not necessarily that an external event pulled you away
- inattentive
more general — not paying attention, without the implication of being pulled away by something specific
- unfocused
describes the result (not directing attention) rather than the cause (worry or interruption)
文法句型
be + distracted
be + distracted + by + [cause]
too distracted + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Often followed by 'by' to name what pulls your attention (distracted by the noise), or 'with' to name the cause of worry (distracted with anxiety). The adjective focuses on temporary inattention rather than deep emotional distress.