averted

American  

[uh-vur-tid] / əˈvɜr tɪd /

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.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of avert.

Other Word Forms

• avertedly adverb
• unaverted adjective

Etymology

Origin of averted

avert ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

The immediate threat may now have been averted for the football pitch.

From BBC

"These quiet victories of international cooperation -- the wars prevented, the famine averted, the vital treaties secured -- do not always make the headlines," he said.

From Barron's

While an environmental disaster from the jet fuel spillage was averted, the coastguard undertook a clean-up operation after discovering clumps of plastic pellets, or nurdles, in the sea and washed ashore.

From Barron's

The N train at last rumbled in, and Boaz carefully averted his eyes.

From Literature

This year the EU threatened 50% tariffs on American whiskey, though that was eventually averted, which was good news for Kentuckians.

From The Wall Street Journal