veer

¹ American  

[veer] / vɪər /

verb (used without object)

1. 

   to change direction or turn about or aside; shift, turn, or change from one course, position, inclination, etc., to another.

   The speaker kept veering from his main topic. The car veered off the road.

   Synonyms:

   diverge, swerve, deviate

2. (of the wind)

   1. to change direction clockwise (opposed to back).

   2. Nautical. to shift to a direction more nearly astern (opposed to haul).

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verb (used with object)

1. to alter the direction or course of; turn.

2. Nautical. to turn (a vessel) away from the wind; wear.

noun

1. a change of direction, position, course, etc..

   a sudden veer in a different direction.

veer ² American  

[veer] / vɪər /

verb (used with object)

Nautical.

1. to slacken or let out.

   to veer chain.

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veer ¹ British  

/ vɪə /

verb

1. to alter direction (of); swing around

2. (intr) to change from one position, opinion, etc, to another

3. (intr)

   1. (of the wind) to change direction clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern

   2. nautical to blow from a direction nearer the stern Compare haul

4. nautical to steer (a vessel) off the wind

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noun

1. a change of course or direction

veer ² British  

/ vɪə /

verb

1. (tr; often foll by out or away) nautical to slacken or pay out (cable or chain)

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Other Word Forms

• veeringly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of veer¹

First recorded in 1575–85, veer is from the Middle French word virer to turn

Origin of veer²

1425–75; late Middle English vere < Middle Dutch vieren to let out

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Explanation

To veer is to make a sudden turn, like when a driver veers off the pavement or a pleasant conversation veers off in a troubling direction. When you make any quick change of direction you veer. You can veer toward an attractive person at a party, leaving your friends mid-sentence. You veer away from an oncoming truck on the highway to avoid getting crushed. Originally, veer described a change in the direction of the wind, but as you can see, today, anyone or anything that changes direction veers.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

veer

Few would have expected him to veer from United squad player to cult hero mentioned in the same breath as Napoli's greatest adopted son, Diego Maradona.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Grüner can be aromatic or mineral, peppery or spicy, but it’s always lively, with big flavor that doesn’t veer into overly fruity territory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

I fell in love with how “never-ending” the artist’s practice can feel in Los Angeles, how a studio visit can veer into an hours-long conversation about life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

Even as someone who works in food, my first meal of the day tends to veer utilitarian, including on weekends, when I may not eat it until 10 or 11.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

There are also the exciting thin metal posts with the flashers on top, so drivers don’t veer off into ditches because of pitch-blackness or sheer boredom.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

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Related Words

• bend
• deflect
• depart
• deviate
• diverge
• divert
• drift
• pivot
• shift
• skid
• swerve
• swing
• twist
• whirl

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