prevent (someone) from concentrating on something:don’t allow noise to distract you from your work
divert (attention) from something:it was another attempt to distract attention from the truth
(distract oneself) divert one’s attention from something unpleasant by doing something different or more pleasurable:I tried to distract myself by concentrating on Jane
archaic perplex and bewilder:horror and doubt distract His troubl’d thoughts
