distractedly
/dɪˈstræktɪdli/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈstræktɪdli/ (ame, ipa)
distractedly — adverb
1. With your attention drifting away from the task or person in front of you becaus
With your attention drifting away from the task or person in front of you because another worry or thought has taken hold of your mind.
Christopher stirred his tea distractedly while rereading the message from the hospital.
action + distractedly while attention stays on another worry
At the ticket desk, Yara answered distractedly and gave the clerk the wrong date.
answer distractedly when attention slips during conversation
During dinner, Ishaan kept nodding distractedly, still thinking about the exam results.
The babysitter smiled distractedly as the smoke alarm beeped in the kitchen.
As Lucía packed, she hummed distractedly and left her passport on the bed.
- absent-mindedly
often suggests forgetfulness rather than a specific present worry
- inattentively
focuses on lack of care or attention, not mental preoccupation
- dreamily
usually suggests pleasant wandering thoughts rather than concern
- preoccupiedly
more formal and stresses being taken up by another concern
- attentively
with careful attention to what is happening
- carefully
with deliberate attention and effort to avoid mistakes
- single-mindedly
with steady focus on one goal instead of a wandering mind
用法筆記
Often used for small visible actions such as answering, nodding, stirring, or smiling. It usually suggests that another worry or thought is pulling the person's attention away at that moment, rather than showing general carelessness.