drive to distraction en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /də-/ (General-American)
- /ˌdɹaɪv tə dɪsˈtɹækʃ(ə)n/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˌdɹaɪv tə dɪsˈtɹækʃən/ (General-American)
Etymology
From drive (“to cause to become”) + to + distraction (“deranged state of mind; insanity”).
Meanings
-
(excessive, transitive) To 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:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| driving to distraction | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| driven to distraction | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| drove to distraction | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| drives to distraction | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Relateds
Synonyms
drive round the bend · drive up the wall · drive crazy
Translations (2)
pl doprowadzać do szału (to annoy (someone) so much that they cannot concentrate) · pl doprowadzić do szału (to annoy (someone) so much that they cannot concentrate)