eschew
Americanverb (used with object)
-
eschews,
present (3rd person singular)
-
eschewed,
past participle, past
-
eschewing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
eschewsimple
-
eschewssimple
-
have eschewedperfect
-
has eschewedperfect
-
am eschewingprogressive
-
are eschewingprogressive
-
is eschewingprogressive
-
have been eschewingperfect progressive
-
has been eschewingperfect progressive
Past
-
eschewedsimple
-
had eschewedperfect
-
was eschewingprogressive
-
were eschewingprogressive
-
had been eschewingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing eschew
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
One plan being considered by LA28 organizers would eschew the existing locker rooms in favor of temporary modular structures, the sources said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
But we should eschew the temptation to treat Kirkmeyer like a reasonable person.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026
Beijing is often thought to eschew rash decision-making and prioritise patience and gradual gains to secure long-term outcomes.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
Like other Chinese chatbots, DeepSeek's AI tools eschew topics usually censored in the world's second-largest economy, such as the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.
From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026
I was uninjured, and since pride is a Deadly Sin which I feel I generally eschew, absolutely nothing was hurt.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
The cover of “Communion” eschews the grandeur of a Catholic cathedral, in favor of a photograph of a humble Methodist chapel in a rural part of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
Farrell eschews owning data centers, preferring AI-adjacent exposure through power generation, reasoning that markets underappreciate data centers’ high risk for technology obsolescence.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
And she most definitely eschews any modern microloan payment methods like buy-now-pay-later.
From MarketWatch ● May 14, 2026
Ellsworth eschews the idea that she has to strive for any elusive balance between being a mom and entrepreneur.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
That he is faultless we do not assert; that he in great measure eschews the errors of his contemporaries, will be patent to all who peruse his pages.
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 61, No. 379, May, 1847 by Various
When Phoebe Novack and Brian Aggrey married in 2023, they eschewed a traditional registry for household luxuries or a modern honeymoon fund.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
In response, Netflix has made changes Hastings once eschewed, such as adding an advertising-based tier to the service.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
He eschewed the trappings of wealth — driving an eight-year-old Honda — motivated instead by a “desire to compete, excel and keep struggling to do better.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
Doris Fisher eschewed the spotlight, but as co-founder of the Gap, she shaped the way a generation of Americans dressed and laid the foundation for the company to become an apparel behemoth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Ever the independent spirit, Mary eschewed the traditional all-white bridal gown for a shorter white dress with black sequins, topped off with black gloves, black pumps, and a red rose corsage.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Droll and thoughtful, “Wonder Man” is Marvel’s most grounded offering yet, largely eschewing spectacle to focus on the insecurities of a guy who fears he’ll never get his big break.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
He said China’s automakers move much more quickly than their Western counterparts, eschewing long development cycles and instead pushing software fixes and upgrades later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
“I sat in a small office, eschewing the grand corner-office privilege of previous Chairmen.”
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
They are seeking “cheap thrills,” the survey found, and eschewing more expensive purchases.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
Not completely eschewing the values he was taught at 26 Markt.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
