divert

American  

[dih-vurt, dahy-] / dɪˈvɜrt, daɪ- /

verb (used with object)

1. to turn aside or from a path or course; deflect.

2. British. to route (traffic) on a detour.

3. to draw off to a different course, purpose, etc.

4. to distract from serious occupation; entertain or amuse.

   Synonyms:

   delight

   Antonyms:

   bore

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verb (used without object)

1. to turn aside; veer.

   It is sad to see so much talent divert to trivial occupations.

divert British  

/ daɪˈvɜːt /

verb

1. to turn (a person or thing) aside from a course; deflect

2. (tr) to entertain; amuse

3. (tr) to distract the attention of

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Related Words

See amuse.

Other Word Forms

• divertedly adverb
• diverter noun
• divertible adjective
• diverting adjective
• divertingly adverb
• divertive adjective
• predivert verb (used with object)
• redivert verb (used with object)
• undiverted adjective
• undivertible adjective

Etymology

Origin of divert

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin dīvertere, from dī- di- ² + vertere “to turn”

Example Sentences

The U.S. government charged co-founder Yih-Shyan “Wally” Liaw and two other individuals last month regarding an alleged plan to divert U.S.-assembled servers to China in a violation of export-control laws.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

WSJ readers tell us how they think we will divert ourselves 20 years from now.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Instead, the former Bosnia-Herzegovina striker hinted he had deliberately created headlines in an effort to divert attention towards him and away from the 23-year-old former Roma and Ajax player.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

To mitigate risks, the U.A.E. has outlined specific flight corridors for pilots and primed air-traffic controllers to rapidly divert aircraft.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

If Old Chao was trying to divert her attention from his foot, he’d succeeded.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

Related Words

• alter
• deflect
• redirect
• switch