Something to chew on: there’s no etymological relationship between the verbs chew and eschew. While the former comes from the Old English word cēowan, eschew comes instead from the Anglo-French verb eschiver and shares roots with the Old High German verb sciuhen, meaning “to frighten off.” In his famous dictionary of 1755, Samuel Johnson characterized eschew as “almost obsolete.” History has proven that the great lexicographer was wrong on that call, however. Today, following a boom in the word’s usage during the 19th and 20th centuries, English speakers and writers use eschew when something is avoided less for temperamental reasons than for moral or practical ones, even if misguidedly so, as when Barry Lopez wrote in his 2019 book Horizon of ill-fated Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott, “with an attitude of cultural superiority, eschewing sled dogs for Manchurian ponies....”
escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.
nothing escapes her sharp eyes
avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.
try to avoid past errors
evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.
evaded the question by changing the subject
elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.
what she sees in him eludes me
shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.
you have shunned your responsibilities
eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.
a playwright who eschews melodrama
Examples of eschew in a Sentence
Though a doctor with psychiatric training, he eschewed the science that had so enamored earlier child-rearing professionals …—Sue Halpern, New York Review of Books, 29 May 2003A fair number of academics eschew the simple title "professor" and call themselves economists, astronomers, historians, philosophers.—Tracy Kidder, Home Town, 1999When introduced to a stranger, he eschewed formalities, stuck out a gnarled right hand and responded with a chummy, "Hermann."—Tim Layden, Sports Illustrated, 2 Feb. 1998
They now eschew the violence of their past.
a psychologist who eschews the traditional methods of psychotherapy
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The designers eschewed touch controls in favor of more tactile options.—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 Young people have previously eschewed manufacturing jobs due to low wages.—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 30 June 2025 Selected as a 14-year-old by the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL priority selection draft, Dervin eschewed the CHL path in order to preserve his eligibility to play in the NCAA.—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 29 June 2025 Luca Magliano has consistently sought to instill humble poetry into his shows, eschewing postcard-like clichés in favor of a more melancholy and nostalgic view rooted in provincial Italy.—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for eschew
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French eschiver (3rd present eschiu) of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German sciuhen to frighten off — more at shy
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