avert

[ uh-vurt ]
/ əˈvɜrt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR avert ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to turn away or aside: to avert one's eyes.
to ward off; prevent: to avert evil; to avert an accident.

QUIZZES

TAKE ROUND 2 OF OUR PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ!

Here is our second set of teacher-selected PSAT vocabulary words. Do you know the meanings of these terms?
Question 1 of 10
advocate
to give up possession or occupancy of.
to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly.
to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of avert

1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French avertir ≪ Latin āvertere, equivalent to ā- a-4 + vertere to turn

OTHER WORDS FROM avert

a·vert·ed·ly, adverba·vert·er, nouna·vert·i·ble, a·vert·a·ble, adjectiveun·a·vert·ed, adjective

Words nearby avert

averse, aversion, aversion therapy, aversive, aversive conditioning, avert, avertin, avery, aves, avesta, avestan
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to averted

halt, prevent, forestall, avoid, deter, foil, preclude, turn, divert, deflect, frustrate, shunt

Example sentences from the Web for averted

British Dictionary definitions for averted

avert
/ (əˈvɜːt) /

verb (tr)

to turn away or asideto avert one's gaze
to ward off; prevent from occurringto avert danger

Derived forms of avert

avertible or avertable, adjective

Word Origin for avert

C15: from Old French avertir, from Latin āvertere; see averse
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012