Synonyms of diverting

diverting 1 of 2

adjective

də-ˈvər-tiŋ 

as in amusing

providing amusement or enjoyment

some tall and diverting tales were told by the festival's roving storyteller

Synonyms & Similar Words

• amusing
• fun
• enjoyable
• entertaining
• delightful
• pleasurable
• exciting
• pleasant
• nice
• funny
• satisfying
• recreational
• beguiling
• humorous
• welcome
• merry
• ridiculous
• stimulating
• agreeable
• happy
• comical
• comic
• riotous
• hilarious
• ludicrous
• droll
• farcical
• thrilling
• laughable
• antic
• uproarious
• sunny
• jolly
• jovial
• gleeful
• jocose
• risible
• mirthful
• sidesplitting
• gay
• blithesome
• jocund

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• heavy
• boring
• uninteresting
• tedious
• tiresome
• wearisome
• weary
• pedestrian
• tiring
• flat
• monotonous
• dull
• drab
• humdrum
• leaden
• ponderous
• dreary
• stuffy
• stodgy
• wearying
• unpleasant
• unwelcome
• jading
• disagreeable
• distasteful
• uncongenial
• displeasing
• pleasureless
• unpleasing
• unlovely

diverting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of divert

1

as in entertaining

to cause (someone) to pass the time agreeably occupied

a light comedy to divert the tired business executive

Synonyms & Similar Words

• amusing
• entertaining
• regaling
• distracting
• occupying
• delighting
• appeasing
• interesting
• solacing
• involving
• disporting
• pleasing
• busying
• consoling
• engaging
• engrossing
• immersing
• captivating
• charming
• enchanting
• absorbing
• comforting
• intriguing
• humoring
• fascinating
• hypnotizing
• bewitching
• mesmerizing
• indulging
• contenting
• placating
• gratifying
• spoiling
• soothing
• pacifying
• beguiling
• gripping
• propitiating
• pleasuring
• pampering
• mollifying
• obliging
• conciliating
• coddling
• enthralling
• mollycoddling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• boring
• draining
• wearing
• exhausting
• tiring
• enervating
• wearying
• wearing out
• jading
• harassing
• fatiguing
• perturbing
• aggravating
• upsetting
• pestering
• disturbing
• bothering
• annoying
• harrying
• exasperating
• bugging
• vexing
• fretting
• grating
• galling
• chafing
• nettling
• piquing
• irking
• peeving

2

as in turning

to change the course or direction of (something)

the bike race was diverted around the construction zone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• turning
• swinging
• redirecting
• whipping
• deflecting
• shifting
• veering
• moving
• wheeling
• whirling
• shunting
• switching
• averting
• deviating
• transferring
• twisting
• sidetracking
• swiveling
• zigzagging
• rechanneling
• swerving
• curving
• reversing
• swaying
• bending
• turning back

3

as in distracting

to draw the attention or mind to something else

trying to divert the child with a toy while the doctor was giving her a shot

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distracting
• detracting
• abstracting
• throwing off
• amusing
• entertaining
• straying
• wandering
• calling off
• beguiling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• focusing
• concentrating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of diverting

Adjective

But you were also treated to a diverting and delightful narrative, rich with insider’s lore. — BostonGlobe.com, 26 July 2021

The plan also would call for constant testing of players and staff, which could mean diverting resources from public health care. — Nick Piecoro, azcentral, 6 Apr. 2020

Both popular and science media show an outsized fondness for brain imaging studies, inspiring much work more diverting than informative. — David Dobbs, WIRED, 4 July 2006

Verb

An off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen fired at Williams as the incident unfolded, diverting him from the restaurant in an effort that likely saved lives. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 3 Aug. 2026

Officials said both fired at Williams during what authorities described as a chaotic and fast-moving attack, diverting his attention from the restaurant as customers and employees fled. — Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

This ad hoc approach wastes significant capacity, diverting resources from valuable AI initiatives and widening the gap between data ambition and deployment. — Susan Laine, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

The organization receives food and pantry items from grocery stores, restaurants, distribution centers and warehouses — diverting them from the landfill and giving them to community members. — Taylor O'Connor 29, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026

The Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 was created to recover apparel and other textiles from consumers, diverting it from landfills and then finding a way to reuse, repair or recycle the items into secondary products. — Samantha Gowen, Oc Register, 27 July 2026

The shows’ studio, 20th TV Animation, kept the annual output relatively steady, diverting the surplus episodes to its streaming platforms. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 25 July 2026

Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, and Ed Harris lead this diverting little comedy sending up the real-life court wars between the sports. — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 24 July 2026

By still spending so much on conventional manned equipment, the United States and many other countries are diverting funds from more efficient systems. — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026