averted

[ uh-vur-tid ]

adjective

1. turned away or aside:

   The angle of the head, the averted eyes, and the position of the mouth all serve to give up our secrets because they so easily reveal our feelings.

2. warded off; prevented:

   An averted foreign-policy disaster is often invisible, so the officers responsible often miss out on professional recognition.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of avert ( def ).

Other Words From

• a·vert·ed·ly adverb
• un·a·vert·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of averted¹

avert ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

The most pressing matter is the government spending bill—something that is needed by December 11 in order to avert a federal government shutdown.

From Fortune

To avert catastrophic levels of warming, we have to make “far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society,” according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

From MIT Technology Review

The wearing of masks and the social distancing and doing things that some of these other countries have done, like closing down bars…would make a huge difference and would in fact avert the necessity of a strict lockdown.

From Popular-Science

With industrywide coordination, thousands of DNS providers around the world installed a fix that averted this doomsday scenario.

From Ars Technica

The current president has largely ignored the findings and recommendations of scientists, while his opponent’s stated climate plan is generally in line with the changes we know we need to avert climate catastrophe.

From Popular-Science

Thus, a strike was averted and we have had a Met season this year--albeit a super weird one.

From The Daily Beast

Eyes averted, Stittsworth asked if there was anything Doc Brinkley could do for…“you know… sexual weakness?”

From The Daily Beast

It was ham-handed and poorly done, and it all could have been averted.

From The Daily Beast

We also averted potential really catastrophic problems with critical infrastructure.

From The Daily Beast

“Through his cooperation, we averted untold millions of dollars in loss to victims,” Assistant U.S. Attorney James Pastore said.

From The Daily Beast

The Dowager looked sharply at the girl; but Valerie's face continued averted, her gaze resting on the fire.

From Project Gutenberg

There was therefore one way, and one alone, by which the great woe which seemed to be coming on Europe could be averted.

From Project Gutenberg

Kari averted his gaze because elephants are always irritated by the ostentatious bustle of a rhinoceros.

From Project Gutenberg

She looked at me, and her lower lip trembled a little, her eyes suddenly averted from mine.

From Project Gutenberg

Except Julian and Lillyston there is hardly a man I respect, who does not look at me with averted eyes.

From Project Gutenberg