divert
[dih-vurt, dahy-]
- to turn aside or from a path or course; deflect.
- British. to route (traffic) on a detour.
- to draw off to a different course, purpose, etc.
- to distract from serious occupation; entertain or amuse.
- to turn aside; veer: It is sad to see so much talent divert to trivial occupations.
Origin of divert
Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com4. delight.
Synonym study
4. See amuse.
Antonyms
4. bore.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for diverted
Contemporary Examples
Producing one H-bomb would have diverted enough resources to produce 80 atomic warheads.
When they told flight attendants they had been to West Africa, alarm bells rang and the flight was diverted.
But as the battle raged near the edge of the runway all flights had to be diverted to other cities.
When that garbage is diverted into a vat of energy-producing soup, it becomes a penny earned.
Every piece of garbage that is diverted from a landfill is a penny saved.
Historical Examples
Nor was he ever diverted from his predilections by mere fashion or novelty.
De Libris: Prose and VerseAustin Dobson
My roving excursion this day had fatigued my body, and diverted my imagination.
The Adventures of Colonel Daniel BooneJohn Filson
Harriot Freke, even whilst she diverted me most, I half despised.
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)Maria Edgeworth
You and yours are to find that I can be constant, and am not to be diverted from my end.
Life And Adventures Of Martin ChuzzlewitCharles Dickens
And Prada, diverted by the meeting, whispered to Pierre: "Wait a bit, he'll amuse us."
The Three Cities Trilogy, CompleteEmile Zola
divert
- to turn (a person or thing) aside from a course; deflect
- (tr) to entertain; amuse
- (tr) to distract the attention of
Word Origin
C15: from French divertir, from Latin dīvertere to turn aside, from di- ² + vertere to turn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for diverted
divert
v.
early 15c., from Middle French divertir (14c.), from Latin divertere "to turn in different directions," blended with devertere "turn aside," from dis- "aside" and de- "from" + vertere "to turn" (see versus). Related: Diverted; diverting.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper