distraídas

Distraídas is the feminine plural form of distraído, an adjective in Spanish used to describe people, or sometimes things, that are not paying attention, are preoccupied, or are diverted by other stimuli. It can refer to a momentary lapse or to a general tendency to lose focus. The feminine singular form is distraída and the masculine forms are distraído and distraídos in plural.

Usage is common in everyday speech. Examples include: “Las estudiantes estaban distraídas durante la clase,” meaning they were not paying attention. The term can also describe a person who is habitually inattentive, as in “una persona distraída.” In grammatical agreement, distraídas accompanies feminine plural nouns or pronouns.

Etymology and related forms: distraídas derives from distraer, which comes from the Latin distrahere, meaning to pull apart or to divert. Related words include distraer (to distract), distracción (distraction), and atención (attention). The pair distraído/distraída is often contrasted with focused or concentrado/concentrada in discussions of attention and cognitive effort.

Context and nuance: Distracción refers to the cognitive process or state of not focusing, which can be influenced by external stimuli, cognitive load, or multitasking. The term distraídas is primarily descriptive and neutral, but in some contexts it can carry the connotation of being absent-minded or not fully engaged in the moment. In regional use, synonyms such as despistado/despistada may be employed with slightly different nuances.

See also: distraer, distracción, atención, concentración.