Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb distract

2 senses of distract

Sense 1
distract, deflect -- (draw someone's attention away from something; "The thief distracted the bystanders"; "He deflected his competitors")
       => confuse, flurry, disconcert, put off -- (cause to feel embarrassment; "The constant attention of the young man confused her")

Sense 2
perturb, unhinge, disquiet, trouble, cark, distract, disorder -- (disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed; "She was rather perturbed by the news that her father was seriously ill")
       => disturb, upset, trouble -- (move deeply; "This book upset me"; "A troubling thought")