avoided; avoiding; avoids

transitive verb

1
a
: to keep away from : shun
They have been avoiding me.
b
: to prevent the occurrence or effectiveness of
avoid further delays
c
: to refrain from
avoid overeating
2
law : to make legally void (see void entry 1 sense 1a) : annul
avoid a plea
3
archaic : to depart or withdraw from : leave
4
obsolete : void, expel
avoidable adjective
avoidably adverb
avoider noun
Choose the Right Synonym for avoid

escape, avoid, evade, elude, shun, eschew mean to get away or keep away from something.

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 avoid in a Sentence

Why do you keep avoiding me? She took a detour to avoid the heavy traffic. They successfully avoided each other for days. He tried hard to avoid accidents. We need to avoid further delays. He was caught trying to avoid arrest. in an effort to avoid confusion I'm not going to be late if I can avoid it. How can I avoid paying too much tax? I am trying to avoid showing any hint of favoritism.
Recent Examples on the Web Recycling metals from e-waste, instead of extracting new raw materials, avoided approximately 52 million metric tons of planet-warming emissions in 2022, according to the report. Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 And this past January, a debt ceiling deal meant to avoid a government shutdown frontloaded the full $20 billion cut to this year. Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 Like many of the early-morning visitors, McCormick and Wong are locals who try to avoid the peak hours when tourists from around the world descend on this small patch of Washington. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Backcountry skiing allows skiers and riders to avoid crowds and lift lines, instead heading into often untouched terrain. Josh Laskin, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2024 Buyers would have the same latitude, and some could avoid all fees. Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar. 2024 Whether someone has had trouble maintaining a healthy weight or not, there has been no avoiding the recent discussions around medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 On the surface, the Clark should be able to avoid some of the problems faced by Skid Row SROs. Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Late last year, Mr. Johnson chopped the spending process in half, creating two partial government shutdown deadlines instead of one, in an effort to avoid asking members to take a single vote on a huge catchall to fund the entire government, which Republicans have objected to repeatedly. Catie Edmondson, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'avoid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French avoider, alteration of Old French esvuider, from es- (from Latin ex-) + vuider to empty — more at void entry 3

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of avoid was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near avoid

Cite this Entry

“Avoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avoid. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

avoid

verb
1
: to keep away from
they have been avoiding me
2
: to keep from happening
avoid an accident
3
: to keep from doing or being
avoid getting too tired
avoidable adjective
avoidably adverb
avoider noun

Legal Definition

avoid

transitive verb
1
: to make void or undo : annul
the trustee may avoid any transfer of interest of the debtor in propertyU.S. Code
2
: to respond to (an allegation or averment) by declaring that facts alleged do not result in liability
averments in a pleading to which no responsive pleading is required or permitted shall be taken as denied or avoidedU.S. Code
see also confession and avoidance compare deny
3
: to prevent the occurrence of or responsibility for especially through lawful means
avoid a tax
compare evade
avoidability noun
avoidable adjective
avoidance noun
Etymology

modification of Old French esvuider to destroy, literally, to empty, from es- out + vuider to empty

More from Merriam-Webster on avoid

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