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eschew

American  
[es-choo] / ɛsˈtʃu /

verb (used with object)

eschews, present (3rd person singular) eschewed, past participle, past eschewing present participle
  1. to abstain or keep away from; shun; avoid.

    to eschew evil.

    Synonyms:
    forgo, boycott, circumvent

eschew British  
/ ɪsˈtʃuː /

verb

  1. (tr) to keep clear of or abstain from (something disliked, injurious, etc); shun; avoid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of eschew

1300–50; Middle English eschewen < Old French eschiver, eschever < Germanic; compare Old High German sciuhen, German scheuchen, shy 2

Explanation

If you eschew something, you deliberately avoid it. If you love the hustle and bustle of a big city, then most likely you eschew the suburbs. Eschew comes from a word meaning "dread," or "shun." So to eschew something isn’t simply to avoid it, the way you would avoid walking in a puddle — it's stronger than that. You eschew things that you find morally or aesthetically wrong, or that you have chosen to find wrong. Some people eschew processed food and sugary drinks due to health reasons and others eschew using social media during work in order to stay focused.

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