avert
Americanverb (used with object)
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to turn away or aside.
to avert one's eyes.
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to ward off; prevent.
to avert evil;
to avert an accident.
verb
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to turn away or aside
to avert one's gaze
-
to ward off; prevent from occurring
to avert danger
Other Word Forms
- avertable adjective
- averter noun
- avertible adjective
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”
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.
The approval of proposed changes to bond repayments as well as a new loan from Shenzhen Metro signals local government support for Vanke in averting immediate default for now, Zhang said.
Until the weekend, the president and Republican leaders appeared close to averting a lapse in funding at the end of the week.
From Barron's
From Wall Street’s point of view, the fallout from their limited price concessions was manageable, while averting the threat of very steep tariffs or a more aggressive effort to regulate prices was a substantial benefit.
Wright’s efforts are aimed at averting the need for rolling blackouts, a last-resort means of keeping electricity supply and demand in balance during times of strain on the grid.
The immediate threat may now have been averted for the football pitch.
From BBC
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.
