Distractions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Elements or events that divert a person's focus away from the main task or subject
2. Any stimulus or occurrence that interrupts concentration and draws the mind elsewhere
3. Factors that interrupt attention and prevent full engagement with the current activity

Etymology: "Distractions" is simply the plural of "distraction," which is the noun form of the verb "distract." The noun was borrowed into English from Middle French "distraction," which came from Latin "distractio," meaning a pulling apart or separation. The Latin verb "distrahere" ("to draw apart") is built from "dis-" (apart) and "trahere" (to draw), so the root image is literally something being pulled in different directions. That physical sense of tearing apart is what gives the modern meaning its shape. A mind pulled away from its task is being drawn in a different direction, and English "distraction" once carried the sense of mental agitation or confusion, not just something that diverts attention. The plural form is the ordinary one for a countable noun, so "distractions" refers to multiple such diversions.

Synonyms: diversions, interruptions, disturbances, agitations, hindrances

Antonyms: focuses, concentrations, attentions, dedications, commitments