Definition of eschew
eschewed;
eschewing;
eschews
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eschew was our Word of the Day on 05/30/2012. Hear the podcast!
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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 2003
- A fair number of academics eschew the simple title "professor" and call themselves economists, astronomers, historians, philosophers. —Tracy Kidder, Home Town, 1999
- When 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
Recent Examples of eschew from the Web
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Dallas eschewed its offensive needs to use its first draft pick on Leighton Vander Esch from Boise State.
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Swift eschewed her semi-famous Fourth of July bash in favor of a more covert celebration in Turks and Caicos.
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To its credit, the film eschews excess gore and mayhem, largely making its points in more subtly incisive ways.
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López Obrador eschews luxury and has promised to cut his own salary while raising the pay of the lowest government workers.
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This season the designer eschewed the buzz of instantly comprehensible graphics or silhouettes for a palette pulled from Yves Saint Laurent.
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But to win, the leading Republican and Democratic candidates are eschewing the middle ground in this heavily independent purple state to appeal to their respective bases.
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Older fans weep in recollection; younger ones eschew the customary disdain for things old and distant.
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At the election, Italian voters eschewed established political parties and flocked to League and the anti-establishment Five Star party, driven in part by anti-immigrant sentiment, and overall dissatisfaction with the previous, centrist government.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eschew.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Eschew derives from the Anglo-French verb eschiver and is akin to the Old High German verb sciuhen ("to frighten off"), an ancestor of our word shy. In his famous dictionary of 1755 Dr. Samuel Johnson characterized "eschew" as "almost obsolete." History has proven that the great lexicographer was wrong on that call, however. William Thackeray found "eschew" alive enough to use it almost one hundred years later in his classic novel Vanity Fair: "He has already eschewed green coats, red neckcloths, and other worldly ornaments." The word swelled in usage in English during the 19th and 20th centuries and is now common enough to be included even in small paperback dictionaries.
Origin and Etymology of eschew
Middle English, from Anglo-French eschiver (3rd present eschiu) of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German sciuhen to frighten off — more at shy
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 14th century
in the meaning defined above
See Words from the same yearSynonym Discussion of eschew
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.
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- nothing escapes her sharp eyes
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- try to avoid past errors
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- evaded the question by changing the subject
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- what she sees in him eludes me
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- you have shunned your responsibilities
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- a playwright who eschews melodrama
ESCHEW Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of eschew for English Language Learners
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: to avoid (something) especially because you do not think it is right, proper, etc.
Learn More about eschew
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See words that rhyme with eschew Spanish Central: Translation of eschew Nglish: Translation of eschew for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of eschew for Arabic speakers
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