-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Did you know?
But I Digress
The verb digress is often encountered in the phrase “but I digress.” This is an idiomatic expression that has been in use in English for many hundreds of years. Examples may be found as far back as 1653, when Edmund Hall used “but I digress” in his A Scriptural Discourse of the Apostasie and the Antichrist. The phrase is used, often jocularly, by speakers and writers to indicate that they have veered away from the subject that they had been speaking or writing of, and intend to return to it.
swerve, veer, deviate, depart, digress, diverge mean to turn aside from a straight course.
swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.
veer implies a major change in direction.
deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.
depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.
digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.
diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.
Examples of digress in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'digress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Latin digressus, past participle of digredi, from dis- + gradi to step — more at grade entry 1
1529, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near digress
Cite this Entry
“Digress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digress. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
digress
verbMore from Merriam-Webster on digress
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for digress
Share