veer

1 of 3

verb (1)

veered; veering; veers

intransitive verb

1
: to change direction or course
the economy veered sharply downward
2
of the wind : to shift in a clockwise direction compare back entry 4 sense 2
3
of a ship : to change course by turning the stern to the wind

transitive verb

: to direct to a different course
specifically : wear sense 7
veeringly adverb

veer

2 of 3

noun

: a change in course or direction
a veer to the right

veer

3 of 3

verb (2)

veered; veering; veers

transitive verb

: to let out (something, such as a rope)
Choose the Right Synonym for veer

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.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

Examples of veer in a Sentence

Verb (1) at this point the river veers to the southwest before finally emptying into the Atlantic Ocean veered the ship abruptly to the right to avoid a collision without warning the car veered to the left and into an oncoming truck
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The scenarios involving a pickup truck pulling a trailer ranged from an uneventful situation as a baseline, to one where the pickup and trailer veered in and out of the right-hand lane. Ed Garsten, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024 Spice candles can veer into overly sweet, cloying cinnamon-bomb territory. Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 26 Nov. 2024
Noun
The crowd gathered along Sixth Avenue can be heard shouting and screaming as the balloon first veers left, then right, before being punctured by a lamppost, leaving a gaping hole in the smiling character’s right side. John Russell, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024 Baldwin is often off-balance: His accent and the overall volume of performance wobble from scene to scene; the relationship with McDermott’s Lucas veers between affection and disinterest. Nick Newman, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for veer 

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English veren, probably altered from Anglo-French virer "to whirl, turn, revolve" (continental Old French, "to throw with a twisting motion"), going back to Vulgar Latin *vīrāre, reduced from Latin vibrāre "to wave, propel suddenly" — more at vibrate

Note: The vowel change (e in Middle English, i in French) is of unclear motivation. Cf. Old Scots wyr, wyre "to throw along a curving trajectory," vyre "to turn about a fixed point," apparently borrowed from Anglo-French virer with no alteration of vowel.

Noun

noun derivative of veer entry 1

Verb (2)

Middle English veren, borrowed from Middle Dutch *vieren or Middle Low German vīren, perhaps from a Frisian verbal derivative of Old Frisian fīr "far"; akin to Old English feorr far entry 1

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of veer was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near veer

Cite this Entry

“Veer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veer. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

veer

verb
ˈvi(ə)r
: to change direction or course
the highway veers inland at this point
veer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on veer

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