divert

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verb di·vert \ də-ˈvərt , dī- \

Definition of divert

intransitive verb

:to turn aside :deviate

studied law but diverted to diplomacy

transitive verb

1 a :to turn from one course or use to another :deflect

divert traffic to a side street

diverting funds to other projects

b :distract

trying to divert her attention

2 :to give pleasure to especially by distracting the attention from what burdens or distresses

children diverting themselves with their toys

See divert defined for English-language learners

See divert defined for kids

Examples of divert in a Sentence

Police diverted traffic to a side street.
The stream was diverted toward the farmland.
They were charged with illegally diverting public funds for private use.
He lied to divert attention from the real situation.
They're only proposing the law to divert attention from important issues.

Recent Examples of divert from the Web

No Village Square theft actually occurred and Harper was suspected of making the call to divert attention from going back to the car, police said.

— irv leavitt, chicagotribune.com, "Northbrook police: Theft call may have been distraction attempt," 21 Aug. 2017
Leaning over the railing from his perch on the top step of the first-base dugout this past weekend in Cleveland, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi did not have to divert his gaze to catch glimpses of the out-of-town scoreboard.

— billy witz, New York Times, "Yankees, Peeking at the Red Sox, Will Soon Get an Eyeful," 7 Aug. 2017
Try not to be diverted from all the greens that are suggested for this recipe.

— anya tchoupakov, Bon Appetit, "25 Healthy Brunch Recipes That Won't Put You Back to Sleep," 28 July 2017
Athletic teams would divert aimless city boys into healthy pursuits and shape them into reliable workers, solid soldiers, and fellow patriots.

— linda flanagan, The Atlantic, "The Field Where Men Still Call the Shots," 28 July 2017
Before an explosion in the 1980s diverted the Red Line to Vermont Avenue, it was supposed to traverse Fairfax.

— neal broverman, Los Angeles Magazine, "4 Neighborhoods That Need a Streetcar More Than DTLA," 19 July 2017
The Escondido Resource Recovery center at 1021 W. Mission Ave. is expected to divert as much as 520 billion pounds of waste coming from throughout the San Diego area.

— linda mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "New recycling center opens in Escondido," 19 July 2017
The crash prompted a section of westbound I-10 to be shut down to traffic, with vehicles diverted off the interstate in Spanish Fort.

— john sharp, AL.com, "Traffic snarled along I-10 in Mobile and Baldwin counties following fatal hit-and-run crash," 15 July 2017
Already the prospect of Brexit has diverted some investment south.

— The Economist, "How a hard Irish border could return, courtesy of Brexit," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'divert.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of divert

Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French divertir, from Latin divertere to turn in opposite directions, from dis- + vertere to turn — more at worth

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

divert Synonyms

Synonyms

disport, amuse, entertain, regale, solace

Related Words

absorb, busy, distract, engage, engross, immerse, interest, involve, occupy; beguile, bewitch, captivate, charm, delight, enchant, enthrall (or enthral), fascinate; grip, hypnotize, intrigue, mesmerize; coddle, gratify, humor, indulge, mollycoddle, pamper, please, pleasure, spoil; appease, comfort, conciliate, console, content, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate, soothe

Near Antonyms

bore, jade; drain, enervate, exhaust, fatigue, tire, wear, wear out, weary; aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, chafe, disturb, exasperate, fret, gall, grate, harass, harry, irk, nettle, peeve, perturb, pester, pique, upset, vex

Synonym Discussion of divert

amuse, divert, entertain mean to pass or cause to pass the time pleasantly. amuse suggests that one's attention is engaged lightly.

- amuse yourselves while I make dinner

divert implies distracting attention from worry or routine occupation especially by something funny.

- a light comedy to divert the tired businessman

entertain suggests supplying amusement by specially contrived methods.

- a magician entertaining children at a party

DIVERT Defined for English Language Learners

divert

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verb

Definition of divert for English Language Learners

: to change the direction or use of (something)
: to take (attention) away from someone or something
: to take the attention of (someone) away from something or someone

DIVERT Defined for Kids

divert

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verb di·vert \ də-ˈvərt , dī- \

Definition of divert for Students

diverted; diverting

1 :to turn from one path or use to another

Police diverted traffic.

2 :to turn the attention away :distract

Bagman opened his mouth to ask Harry something, but Percy diverted him.
—J. K. Rowling, Goblet of Fire

3 :to give pleasure to :amuse

Paint and paper diverted the children.

Word Root of divert

The Latin word vertere, meaning “to turn” or “to change,” and its form versus give us the roots vert and vers. Words from the Latin vertere have something to do with turning or changing. Anything versatile, or able to do or be used for many different things, can change its task easily. A vertebra is a bone in the spine that allows an animal to turn its head or body. To avert is to turn away. To divert is to turn aside onto a new path. To revert is to turn back to a former way of being.