avoid

verb

ə-ˈvȯid

avoided; avoiding; avoids

transitive verb

: to keep away from : shun

They have been avoiding me.

: to prevent the occurrence or effectiveness of

avoid further delays

: to refrain from

avoid overeating

law : to make legally void (see void entry 1 sense 1a) : annul

avoid a plea

archaic : to depart or withdraw from : leave

obsolete : void, expel

avoidable

ə-ˈvȯi-də-bəl

adjective

avoidably

ə-ˈvȯi-də-blē

adverb

avoider noun

Choose the Right Synonym for avoid

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.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

Example Sentences

Why do you keep avoiding me? She took a detour to avoid the heavy traffic. They successfully avoided each other for days. He tried hard to avoid accidents. We need to avoid further delays. He was caught trying to avoid arrest. in an effort to avoid confusion I'm not going to be late if I can avoid it. How can I avoid paying too much tax? I am trying to avoid showing any hint of favoritism. See More

Recent Examples on the Web The goal is to avoid interacting with fake links that could steal login information or load malicious software onto your device.

Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 23 Nov. 2022 Below are eight common things that cause peeling nails — and how to avoid them, according to dermatologists.

Kaitlyn Pirie, Good Housekeeping, 22 Nov. 2022 Retailers know that our intuitive reaction is to avoid losses, with research showing this drive might be up to twice as powerful as the desire to make gains.

Bygleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2022 Avivi called on Israel to avoid being complacent amid the new reports, arguing the country should keep all options on the table when dealing with Iran.

Michael Lee, Fox News, 22 Nov. 2022 In fact, Canada and the United Kingdom’s government websites both say to avoid them, citing serious accidents involving tourists.

Matt Crisara, Popular Mechanics, 21 Nov. 2022 Ryan’s most important role was to avoid the sorts of back-breaking mistakes that crippled Indianapolis through his first seven starts.

The Indianapolis Star, 20 Nov. 2022 The goal is to make transparency and notification the norm, which experts say is important to avoid stoking suspicion between competitors and possible conflict.

Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2022 Many are planning to stay home or travel abroad to avoid it entirely.

Vivian Nereim, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2022 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French avoider, alteration of Old French esvuider, from es- (from Latin ex-) + vuider to empty — more at void entry 3

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of avoid was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century