avert
Americanverb (used with object)
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averts,
present (3rd person singular)
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averted,
past participle, past
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averting
present participle
-
to turn away or aside.
to avert one's eyes.
-
to ward off; prevent.
to avert evil;
to avert an accident.
verb
-
to turn away or aside
to avert one's gaze
-
to ward off; prevent from occurring
to avert danger
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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avertsimple
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avertssimple
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have avertedperfect
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has avertedperfect
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am avertingprogressive
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are avertingprogressive
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is avertingprogressive
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have been avertingperfect progressive
-
has been avertingperfect progressive
Past
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avertedsimple
-
had avertedperfect
-
was avertingprogressive
-
were avertingprogressive
-
had been avertingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of avert
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French avertir, ultimately derived from Latin āvertere, equivalent to ā- a- 4 + vertere “to turn”
Explanation
To avert is to turn away or to prevent. You might avert your gaze or avert a disaster — either way, you are avoiding something. The verb avert comes from Latin roots that mean "to turn away from." Averting has that sense of deflecting, turning away, or preventing something (usually bad) from happening. You might put salt on an icy sidewalk to avert accidents, or you might avert a toddler's meltdown by supplying a lollipop.
Vocabulary lists containing avert
Of Mice and Men
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 2
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"Of Mice and Men"
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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:
In theory, it also has the power to cool high diesel prices and potentially even avert the need for a messy U.S. diesel export ban.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Clubs can no longer sell a player for a one-hit quick fix - either to boost spending power in one window or to avert breaches of the financial regulations.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
To avert future calamities, the forest outside Bordeaux must be thinned and its fire breaks widened, said Arthur Guérin-Turcq, a Sorbonne University geographer whose family cultivates pines near Le Porge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Perhaps the U.S. and Canada will come to some agreement in the coming days and avert more economic upheaval.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
It was not until the plane was less than ten feet from the ocean that, miraculously, Alcock was able to pull the aircraft out of the stall and avert certain death.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
That marks a drop of more than 30% from their May peak and likely averts the disaster commodity experts had warned about as one of the largest crude supply shortages in history began playing out.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
The deal is good because it averts an outcome that has become common: the conversion of a great studio into a diminished version of itself after being absorbed by a traditional rival.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025
It also averts the threat of a major disruption to popular events expected to draw thousands of visitors to the tourist-driven economy of Las Vegas.
From Reuters ● Nov. 10, 2023
The settlement averts a trial that had been set to start next month.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 26, 2023
He averts his eyes, but tightens his grip around my back.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
That has led to higher prices for jet fuel, just a few months after global airlines, U.S. carriers included, averted a major fuel crisis that had threatened their all-important summer travel season.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Whether the higher automotive tariffs can be averted is unclear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
As a result of its new approach, the EPA no longer estimates the number of lives saved or diseases and hospitalizations averted.
From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2026
Board member Kelly Gonez also defended the new contracts, which averted an April strike.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Yossarian answered with averted eyes, and crept away.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Abascal's lawyer, Beatriz Duro, told a press conference there had been "goodwill from both parties" and that she would pay a similar amount of rent under a new contract, averting a significant price hike.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
On the NYSE, new 52-week highs outpaced new lows and numbered more than 100 again, so this buy signal is still in place — narrowly averting being stopped out.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
SoFi Stadium hospitality workers reached a deal, averting a potential World Cup strike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Two 24-hour strikes by London Underground drivers will go ahead on Tuesday and Thursday, as talks aimed at averting the action have broken down, the BBC understands.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
My eyes are darting around the hallway looking for anyone to help, but they’re all averting their eyes.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
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.
