distrait

[Klimt]

[dih-strey; Fr. dees-tRe]

inattentive because of distracting worries, fears, etc.; absent-minded.

While she and Arthur (who had arrived before me) supplied the children with tea and cake, I tried to engage the Earl in conversation: but he was restless and distrait, and we made little progress.

[Slava]

Good suggestion, Klimt. This one's a relative of distraught, but with a nicely different meaning. Sometimes hard to distinguish, but it's important, I do believe.

[Klimt]

Good point, Slava.

"distrait means 'absent-minded as a result of apprehension, worry, etc.' while distraught means 'agitated' and 'bewildered, distracted'"

[Slava]

And, the one that gets me most often; the second "t" in distrait is silent.