Having the attention diverted especially because of anxiety.

synonym: distracted.

Roget 458: inattentive; unobservant, unmindful, heedless, unthinking, unheeding, undiscerning^†; inadvertent; mindless, regardless, respectless^†, listless etc. (indifferent) 866; blind, deaf; bird-witted; hand over head; cursory, percursory^†; giddy-brained, scatter-brained, hare-brained; unreflective, unreflecting^†, ecervele [Fr.]; offhand; dizzy, muzzy^†, brainsick^†; giddy, giddy as a goose; wild, harum-scarum, rantipole^†, highflying; heedless, careless etc. (neglectful) 460.    inconsiderate, thoughtless.    absent, abstracted, distrait; absentminded, lost; lost in thought, wrapped in thought; rapt, in the clouds, bemused; dreaming on other things, musing on other things; preoccupied, engrossed etc. (attentive) 457; daydreaming, in a reverie etc. n.; off one's guard etc. (inexpectant) 508^†; napping; dreamy; caught napping.    disconcerted, distracted, put out etc. v.. ... show more