Distractions can impact productivity and focus, making it essential to understand various expressions that describe this common experience. In this post, we’ll explore 20 expressions related to distraction, providing you with their meanings and example sentences to enhance your English language skills.
Expressions Related to Distraction
1. Lose track of
Meaning: Forget focus
Example: She lost track of time while browsing.
2. Zone out
Meaning: Daydream, not attentive
Example: He zoned out during the boring lecture.
3. Off the rails
Meaning: Disorganized, chaotic
Example: The meeting went off the rails quickly.
4. Drop the ball
Meaning: Fail to concentrate
Example: She dropped the ball on the project deadline.
5. Space out
Meaning: Daydream, lose focus
Example: I spaced out during the long presentation.
6. Get sidetracked
Meaning: Diverted from task
Example: He got sidetracked by a phone call.
7. Lose one’s train of thought
Meaning: Forget what thinking
Example: She lost her train of thought mid-sentence.
8. Have a wandering mind
Meaning: Inattentive
Example: His wandering mind made studying difficult.
9. Get caught up
Meaning: Engrossed, distracted
Example: She got caught up in the TV show.
10. Drift off
Meaning: Fall asleep, daydream
Example: He drifted off during the lecture.
11. Be in a fog
Meaning: Confused, distracted
Example: She felt in a fog after the late night.
12. Go off on a tangent
Meaning: Digress from main topic
Example: He went off on a tangent during the discussion.
13. Get off track
Meaning: Deviate from task
Example: They got off track with side conversations.
14. Be all over the place
Meaning: Disorganized, distracted
Example: Her thoughts were all over the place.
15. Drift away
Meaning: Lose focus gradually
Example: His mind drifted away during the speech.
16. Lose concentration
Meaning: Become distracted
Example: She lost concentration after the interruption.
17. Be out of it
Meaning: Confused, distracted
Example: He was out of it after the long meeting.
18. Have a short attention span
Meaning: Easily distracted
Example: Kids often have a short attention span.
19. Be off in one’s own world
Meaning: Daydreaming
Example: She was off in her own world during class.
20. Let one’s mind wander
Meaning: Daydream, lose focus
Example: He let his mind wander during the lecture.