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

Some companies have little choice other than to build plants in the U.S. to avoid tariffs, but look for much of that work to be automated.

From The Wall Street Journal

SpaceX is exploring ways to better balance supply and demand to avoid that outcome, some of the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ms. Siddiq denies wrongdoing but stepped down to avoid becoming “a distraction from the work of the government.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Leasing can make sense for drivers who value flexibility above all else, drive fewer miles and/or want to avoid long-term loan risk, but it usually comes at a higher total cost.

From MarketWatch

“She’s supposed to be avoiding stress,” the boy replied.

From Literature

Related Words

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