avoid

American  

[uh-void] / əˈvɔɪd /

verb (used with object)

1. to keep away from; keep clear of; shun.

   to avoid a person;

   to avoid taxes;

   to avoid danger.

   Synonyms:

   dodge, elude, evade

   Antonyms:

   encounter, face, confront

2. to prevent from happening.

   to avoid falling.

3. Law. to make void or of no effect; invalidate.

4. Obsolete. to empty; eject or expel.

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avoid British  

/ əˈvɔɪd /

verb

1. to keep out of the way of

2. to refrain from doing

3. to prevent from happening

   to avoid damage to machinery

4. law to make (a plea, contract, etc) void; invalidate; quash

5. obsolete to expel

6. obsolete to depart from

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Related Words

Avoid, escape mean to come through a potentially harmful or unpleasant experience, without suffering serious consequences. To avoid is to succeed in keeping away from something dangerous or undesirable: to avoid meeting an enemy. Escape suggests encountering peril but coming through it safely: to escape drowning.

Other Word Forms

• avoidable adjective
• avoidably adverb
• avoider noun
• nonavoidable adjective
• nonavoidableness noun
• nonavoidably adverb
• unavoiding adjective

Etymology

Origin of avoid

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English avoiden, from Anglo-French avoider, equivalent to a- ⁴ ( def. ) + void ( def. )

Example Sentences

She says for many of these patients, palliative care and managing their symptoms, mainly pain, would be preferable: "Their quality of life would be much better and we would avoid a hospital admission."

From BBC

Mr. Weir and the Dead largely avoided hard rock and retained their identity and popularity by blending blues, folk, roots and country with rock to create a smooth but erudite sound.

From The Wall Street Journal

And Allegiant has been adept at avoiding head-to-head competition with larger competitors by steering clear of crowded routes.

From The Wall Street Journal

The quick pic is sometimes even more ignorant, because its perpetrators believe they have some kind of special technique to avoid disturbing other patrons.

From Salon

Operators of those vessels go to elaborate lengths to disguise the origin of their cargo and avoid detection.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• avert
• bypass
• dodge
• escape
• evade
• fend off
• shun
• sidestep