drive to distraction

drive to dis·tract·ion
UK/ˌdɹaɪv tə dɪsˈtɹækʃ(ə)n/US/ˌdɹaɪv tə dɪsˈtɹækʃən/US/də-/

verb

To annoy (someone) so much that they cannot concentrate.

Similar
drive crazydrive round the benddrive up the wall
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Meanings

verbdrive to distraction (third-person singular simple present drives to distraction, present participle driving to distraction, simple past drove to distraction, past participle driven to distraction)

present singular third person drives to distraction · participle present driving to distraction · past drove to distraction · participle past driven to distraction

  1. excessivetransitiveTo annoy (someone) so much that they cannot concentrate.

    "[…]pray do this for us—pray do not drive to distraction a man who has loved you so well."

    1855 January 5, Anthony Trollope, The Warden, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC

    Synonyms: drive crazy, drive round the bend, drive up the wall

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo annoy (someone) so much that they cannot concentrate.

Similar
drive crazydrive round the benddrive up the wall
Also see
drive someone crazy

Origin

From drive (“to cause to become”) + to + distraction (“deranged state of mind; insanity”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish doprowadzać do szału, doprowadzić do szału
  • doprowadzać do szałuto annoy (someone) so much that they cannot concentrate
  • doprowadzić do szałuto annoy (someone) so much that they cannot concentrate
Cite this entry
APA

drive to distraction. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drive%20to%20distraction

MLA

“drive to distraction.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drive%20to%20distraction. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “drive to distraction,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drive%20to%20distraction.

Source: drive to distraction on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.