noun

distraction

dih-STRAK-shuhn/dɪˈstrækʃn/

Loss of focus or something that causes it.

The buzzing phone is a distraction from work.

A buzzing smartphone and bouncing ball interrupt a person trying to work at a tidy desk, blank phone screen, no writing.

Etymology

disLatinaway, apart

+tractLatinto draw, pull

+ionLatinaction or process

The pieces evoke pulling something away or apart. Applied to the mind, this became the diversion of attention, then a thing that causes that diversion.

In context

Pseudo Posse4:42

create a distraction for the screamers. Remember, screamers investigate the source of heat after they spawn. And if the source is far away, they'll head towards that direction instead of towards your position.

Exploit the Screamer AI with these 5 Bases in 7 Days to Die 2.3

More examples

She turned off notifications to reduce distraction.
He closed the door to remove a major distraction.
He needed a quiet room free from distractions.

Forms

distraction · distractions

distract verb — draw attention away

Similar words

interruption: Breaks an activity rather than necessarily diverting attention.
diversion: Can be a welcome change rather than a harmful loss of focus.