distraction, n.
1 a the act of distracting, esp. the mind. b something that distracts; an interruption.
2 a relaxation from work; an amusement.
3 a lack of concentration.
4 confusion; perplexity.
5 frenzy; madness.

Idiom

to distraction almost to a state of madness.

Etymology

ME f. OF distraction or L distractio (as DISTRACT)

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THESAURUS

distraction

aberration, abnormality, absentmindedness, agitation, alienation, amusement, befuddlement, bewilderment, brain damage, brainsickness, carelessness, clouded mind, confusion, craziness, daftness, dementedness, dementia, derangement, disorder, disorientation, disregard, disregardfulness, dissipation, disturbance, diversion, divertissement, entertainment, flightiness, flippancy, folie, frivolousness, furor, giddiness, heedlessness, inadvertence, inadvertency, inattention, inattentiveness, inconsideration, incuriosity, indifference, inobservance, insaneness, insanity, irrationality, levity, lightmindedness, loss of mind, loss of reason, lunacy, madness, mania, mental deficiency, mental derangement, mental disease, mental disorder, mental disturbance, mental illness, mental instability, mental sickness, mind overthrown, mindsickness, negligence, nonobservance, obliviousness, oddness, pixilation, possession, psychopathy, queerness, rabidness, reasonlessness, recreation, regardlessness, senselessness, shallowness, shattered mind, sick mind, sickness, strangeness, superficiality, thoughtlessness, unalertness, unawareness, unbalance, unbalanced mind, unconsciousness, unheedfulness, unintentiveness, unmindfulness, unobservance, unsaneness, unsound mind, unsoundness, unsoundness of mind, unwariness, unwatchfulness, upset, witlessness

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ROGET THESAURUS

distraction

Excitability

N excitability, impetuosity, vehemence, boisterousness, turbulence, impatience, intolerance, nonendurance, irritability, itching, wincing, disquiet, disquietude, restlessness, fidgets, fidgetiness, agitation, trepidation, perturbation, ruffle, hurry, fuss, flurry, fluster, flutter, pother, stew, ferment, whirl, buck fever, hurry-skurry, thrill, state of excitement, fever of excitement, transport, passion, excitement, flush, heat, fever, heat, fire, flame, fume, blood boiling, tumult, effervescence, ebullition, boiling over, whiff, gust, story, tempest, scene, breaking out, burst, fit, paroxysm, explosion, outbreak, outburst, agony, violence, fierceness, rage, fury, furor, furore, desperation, madness, distraction, raving, delirium, phrensy, frenzy, hysterics, intoxication, tearing passion, raging passion, anger, fascination, infatuation, fanaticism, Quixotism, Quixotry, tete montee, excitable, easily excited, in an excitable state, high-strung, irritable, impatient, intolerant, feverish, febrile, hysterical, delirious, mad, moody, maggoty- headed, unquiet, mercurial, electric, galvanic, hasty, hurried, restless, fidgety, fussy, chafing, startlish, mettlesome, high-mettled, skittish, vehement, demonstrative, violent, wild, furious, fierce, fiery, hot-headed, madcap, overzealous, enthusiastic, impassioned, fanatical, rabid, rampant, clamorous, uproarious, turbulent, tempestuous, tumultuary, boisterous, impulsive, impetuous, passionate, uncontrolled, uncontrollable, ungovernable, irrepressible, stanchless, inextinguishable, burning, simmering, volcanic, ready to burst forth, volatile, excited, exciting, Int, pish!, pshaw!, noli me tangere, filled with fury, rapt, inspir'd, maggiore fretta minore atto.

Inattention

N inattention, inconsideration, inconsiderateness, oversight, inadvertence, inadvertency, nonobservance, disregard, supineness, etourderie, want of thought, heedlessness, insouciance, abstraction, absence of mind, absorption of mind, preoccupation, distraction, reverie, brown study, deep musing, fit of abstraction, inattentive, unobservant, unmindful, heedless, unthinking, unheeding, undiscerning, inadvertent, mindless, regardless, respectless, listless, blind, deaf, bird-witted, hand over head, cursory, percursory, giddy-brained, scatter-brained, hare-brained, unreflective, unreflecting, ecervele, offhand, dizzy, muzzy, brainsick, giddy, giddy as a goose, wild, harum-scarum, rantipole, highflying, heedless, careless, inconsiderate, thoughtless, absent, abstracted, distrait, absentminded, lost, lost in thought, wrapped in thought, rapt, in the clouds, bemused, dreaming on other things, musing on other things, preoccupied, engrossed, daydreaming, in a reverie, off one's guard, napping, dreamy, caught napping, disconcerted, distracted, put out, inattentively, inadvertently, absent-mindedly, per incuriam, sub silentio, Int, stand at ease, stand easy!, the attention wanders, one's wits gone a woolgathering, one's wits gone a bird's nesting, it never entered into one's head, the mind running on other things, one's thoughts being elsewhere, had it been a bear it would have bitten you.

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