distract
verbeadjectifcourant dans les dialogues
- //dɪˈstɹækt//
To divert the attention of.
verbe
- 1
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.
While Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had warned his players against letting the pre-match festivities distract them from the task at hand, they clearly struggled for fluency early on.
Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.
I eschew the idea of plugging in my laptop to take notes and resort to old-fashioned pen and paper instead, so that I can enjoy more of the view and not be distracted by bashing a keyboard.
- 2
To divert (attention).
It is recorded in the Talmud that there was no water organ [...] at the Temple, because of its sweet and powerful voice which was able to distract attention from the traditional instruments.
- 3
To make crazy or insane; to drive to distraction.
By Heav’ns, ſuch Virtues, join’d with ſuch Succeſs, Diſtract my very Soul: Our Father’s Fortune Wou’d almoſt tempt us to renounce his Precepts.
Étymologie
Borrowed from Latin distractus, from distrahō (“to pull apart”), from dis- + trahō (“to pull”).
adjectif
- 1
obsolèteDrawn asunder; separated.
- 2
obsolèteInsane, mad.
Ol[ivia]. […] Fetch Maluolio hither, / And yet alas, novv I remember me, / They ſay poore Gentleman, he's much diſtract. […] Did he vvrite this? / Clo[wn]. I [aye] Madame. / Du[ke Orsino]. This ſauours not much of diſtraction.
Alone ſhee beeing left the ſpoyle of loue and death, / In labour of her griefe outrageouſly diſtract, / The utmoſt of her ſpleene on her falſe Lord to act […]
Formes
- passé
- distracted
- participe passé
- distracted
- participe présent
- distracting
- 3ᵉ personne du singulier
- distracts