DISTRACTIVE Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

distractive

adjective

Definition of distractive

as in tiresome

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distractive

Adjective

Nearly all its arrangements hew to a standard radio-pop format, and in the record’s back half this lack of imagination becomes tiresome.

— Enzo Escober, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Upgrading to first class adds another layer of comfort, with private sleeping accommodations that make overnight travel feel far less tiresome.

— Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of tiresome

Adjective

And Vincent shot himself just days after a stressful visit with Jo and Theo in Paris.

— Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
That might seem a bit stressful for someone who’s juggling a new album, a global tour and his upcoming acting debut in Lena Dunham‘s Good Sex.

— Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of stressful

Adjective

More troubling still is that their grasp on time, then their very consciousness, begins to break down.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
The worst security failure in the country’s history raised troubling questions about whether the financial lifeline helped to sustain Hamas’s grip on power and, in turn, enabled it to carry out the assault.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of troubling

Adjective

His path crosses with Naoko, a Japanese tourist carrying the weight of a painful past, and Ruby, a young child searching for his parents.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Rising financial strains on American workers are forcing them to make painful trade-offs, such as skipping medical care, to make ends meet, new research shows.

— Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of painful

Adjective

Miami’s subpar pass protection, inexperience at receiver and troublesome play calling have been contributing factors.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
When lighting a miniature proved troublesome, the crew employed motion-control rigs to capture multiple exposures, enabling the lighting to be adjusted later in compositing.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of troublesome

Adjective

That picture is a little worrisome, though, because the defense is bad and the offense lacks capable receiving weapons.

— Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
The cancer, adenocarcinoma, is a common one, and while worrisome if caught late, has a track record of high rates of survival with early intervention.

— Scott Detrow, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of worrisome

Adjective

North Korea described the Hero Kim Kun Ok as one of the navy’s key offensive assets when it was unveiled in 2023.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Given all of Los Angeles’ injuries along its offensive line, this weekend’s matchup should present opportunities for the Chiefs’ front seven to get back to the quarterback — and perhaps earn a Cram Award along the way.

— Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of offensive

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

distractions

distractive

distracts

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Distractive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distractive. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of distractive

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes