averted

American  

[uh-vur-tid] / əˈvɜr tɪd /

adjective

1. turned away or aside.

   The angle of the head, the averted eyes, and the position of the mouth all serve to give up our secrets because they so easily reveal our feelings.

2. warded off; prevented.

   An averted foreign-policy disaster is often invisible, so the officers responsible often miss out on professional recognition.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of avert.

Other Word Forms

• avertedly adverb
• unaverted adjective

Etymology

Origin of averted

avert ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Los Angeles school officials announced on Sunday morning that a tentative agreement has been reached with the teachers union — making it possible that a planned Tuesday strike could be averted.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

As with last spring’s trade war, the Barclays research team, headed up by Ajay Rajadhyaksha, believes the worst-case scenario is likely to be averted.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

A majority, however, were not ideologically driven: “They simply conformed, did what was asked of them, averted their gaze from any unpleasantness.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

The immediate threat may now have been averted for the football pitch.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

“It?” asked Lazlo, remembering the way Eril-Fane had averted his eyes and said he didn’t sleep well in Weep.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor