avoid
avoid
transitive verb \ə-ˈvȯid\Definition of AVOID
1
: to make legally void : annul <avoid a plea>
3
a : to keep away from : shun <have been avoiding me> b : to prevent the occurrence or effectiveness of <avoid further delays> c : to refrain from <avoid overeating>
4
archaic : to depart or withdraw from : leave
— avoid·able \-ˈvȯi-də-bəl\ adjective
— avoid·ably \-blē\ adverb
— avoid·er noun
Examples of AVOID
- 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.
Origin of AVOID
Middle English, from Anglo-French avoider, alteration of Old French esvuider, from es- (from Latin ex-) + vuider to empty — more at void
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to AVOID
- Synonyms
- escape, dodge, duck, elude, eschew, evade, finesse, get around, scape, shake, shirk, shuffle (out of), shun, weasel (out of)
See Synonym Discussion at escape
Rhymes with AVOID
android, chancroid, colloid, conoid, crinoid, cuboid, cycloid, deltoid, dendroid, devoid, discoid, factoid, fibroid, fungoid, ganoid, globoid, hydroid, hypnoid, keloid, mastoid, mucoid, ovoid, prismoid, pygmoid, rhizoid, rhomboid, schizoid, scombroid, sigmoid, spheroid, steroid, styloid, tabloid, thalloid, thyroid, toroid, toxoid, trochoid, typhoid, Veddoid, viroid
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