Synonyms of digress

digress

verb

as in to wander

to speak or write about something that is different from the main subject being discussed

He digressed so often that it was hard to follow what he was saying.

If I can digress for a moment, I'd like to briefly mention her earlier films.

Related Words

• wander
• deviate
• stray
• chatter
• rattle
• ramble
• gab
• chat
• sidetrack
• run on
• go on
• blather (on)
• prattle
• blab
• prate
• maunder
• gibber
• blabber
• waffle
• gabble
• drool
• jabber
• patter
• burble
• blither
• drivel
• bumble

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb digress contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of digress are depart, deviate, diverge, swerve, and veer. While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

Where would depart be a reasonable alternative to digress?

The words depart and digress can be used in similar contexts, but depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

When can deviate be used instead of digress?

While the synonyms deviate and digress are close in meaning, deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

How are the words diverge and depart related as synonyms of 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

When might swerve be a better fit than digress?

In some situations, the words swerve and digress are roughly equivalent. However, swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

When is veer a more appropriate choice than digress?

Although the words veer and digress have much in common, veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of digress

The two-hour conversation quickly digresses from the record and encompasses topics like fatherhood, politics, the dangers of television advertising, and just about anything else that flits through John and Yoko’s minds. —Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 15 May 2026

Semple’s writing is warm and absurdly funny but also occasionally devastating—as when, roughly midway through the book, Adora digresses into recalling her experiences writing for a comedy show in the 1990s. —The Atlantic, 14 May 2026

At an April news briefing on the Iran war, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth digressed from taking a dig at Iranian leadership to take a dig at American news media. —Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 6 May 2026

There are less rules outside, fewer boundaries: coffee dates prolong, walks meander, thoughts digress. —Elisa Wouk Almino editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026

Other more doc-style moments digress to explore the family’s history, which stretches all the way back to when Guinea-Bissau was a Portuguese colony and slavery abounded. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026

Here must digress to a famous (or infamous) decided by the U.S. Supreme Court involving pornography, being Redrup v. New York, 386 U.S. 767 (1967). —Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025

The islanders can no more control whether the whales come or go than Ella can control her cancer or Mayor Annie can corral a group of quibbling, digressing neighbors into decisive action. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025

Mahler handled this melodrama with remarkable composure; apparently, the two men digressed into a discussion of the brokenness of modern art. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025