Avoid: meaning, definitions and examples

๐Ÿšซ
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avoid

 

[ ษ™หˆvษ”ษชd ]

Verb / Noun
Oxford 3000
Context #1 | Verb

in everyday life

To keep away from; to prevent from happening. To refrain from doing something.

Synonyms

circumvent, dodge, evade, miss, shun.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
avoid

Used when you don't want to be near something or in a situation. It can be both physical or abstract.

  • She tries to avoid processed foods
  • He avoids talking about his past
evade

Used when avoiding something through cleverness or deceit, often has a negative connotation.

  • He evaded the police for several days
  • She evaded the taxes by hiding her income
dodge

Implies quick, sudden movement to escape or avoid something, often suggesting agility.

  • He dodged the oncoming car
  • She managed to dodge the difficult question
shun

Implies deliberately avoiding someone or something, often due to social or moral reasons.

  • He was shunned by the community after the scandal
  • She shuns all forms of social media
circumvent

Used in a formal context, meaning to find a way around an obstacle, often in a clever or deceitful way.

  • They found a way to circumvent the security system
  • The company circumvented the tax laws
miss

Used when you fail to hit or reach something, or do not see or notice something.

  • He missed the bus this morning
  • I missed seeing her at the party

Examples of usage

  • She tried to avoid eye contact with him.
  • He always avoids conflict in the workplace.
  • Avoid eating too much sugar if you want to stay healthy.
  • You should avoid driving when you are tired.
  • The teacher advised the students to avoid plagiarism in their essays.
Context #2 | Noun

in formal situations

A way of keeping away from or preventing from happening. A means of evading or escaping.

Synonyms

avoidance, elusion, escape, evasion.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
avoid

To stay away from something or someone, often to prevent harm or difficulty.

  • He always tries to avoid arguments.
  • She avoided driving at night.
evasion

The act of intentionally avoiding something, often responsibilities or penalties, and usually with a negative connotation.

  • His evasion of duty was noticed by his superiors.
  • The company's evasion of environmental regulations was eventually uncovered.
avoidance

The action of keeping away from something, often used in psychological contexts or formal writing.

  • His avoidance of conflict is causing issues in the relationship.
  • The company's avoidance of innovation led to its decline.
escape

To break free from confinement or control, often used in dramatic situations.

  • The prisoners planned their escape for months.
  • She needed to escape from the suffocating environment.
elusion

The act of escaping or avoiding capture, often used in formal contexts or discussions about evading capture.

  • The criminal's elusion from the police lasted for months.
  • His elusion was impressive, given the tight security.

Examples of usage

  • The best avoid for conflict is open communication.
  • His clever avoid of the question saved him from embarrassment.

Translations

Translations of the word "avoid" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น evitar

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคฌเคšเคจเคพ (bachna)

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช vermeiden

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ menghindari

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ัƒะฝะธะบะฐั‚ะธ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ unikaฤ‡

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ้ฟใ‘ใ‚‹ (sakeru)

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท รฉviter

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ evitar

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท kaรงฤฑnmak

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ํ”ผํ•˜๋‹ค (pihada)

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุชุฌู†ุจ (tajannub)

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ vyhnout se

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ vyhnรบลฅ sa

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ้ฟๅ… (bรฌmiวŽn)

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ izogibati se

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ forรฐast

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะฐัƒะปะฐา› ะฑะพะปัƒ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒ—แƒแƒ•แƒ˜แƒ“แƒแƒœ แƒแƒชแƒ˜แƒšแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ (tavidan acileba)

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ qaรงฤฑnmaq

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ evitar

Etymology

The word 'avoid' originated from the Old French word 'esvuidier', which means 'to empty out'. Over time, it evolved to the Middle English 'avoiden', with the sense of 'to make empty, clear out, or get rid of'. The modern usage of 'avoid' as we know it today, in the sense of keeping away from or preventing something from happening, emerged in the 16th century. The word has been consistently used in the English language to convey the idea of steering clear of certain actions or situations.

See also: devoid, voider, voiding.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #1,304, this word is part of core intermediate vocabulary. It appears regularly in various contexts and is essential for natural-sounding English.