veer

[ veer ]

/ vɪər /

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See synonyms for: veer / veered / veering on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to change direction or turn about or aside; shift, turn, or change from one course, position, inclination, etc., to another: The speaker kept veering from his main topic. The car veered off the road.

(of the wind)

to change direction clockwise (opposed to back¹ def. 31).
Nautical. to shift to a direction more nearly astern (opposed to haul def. 8c).

verb (used with object)

to alter the direction or course of; turn.

Nautical. to turn (a vessel) away from the wind; wear.

noun

a change of direction, position, course, etc.: a sudden veer in a different direction.

OTHER WORDS FOR veer

1 deviate, swerve, diverge.

See synonyms for veer on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of veer

First recorded in 1575–85, veer is from the Middle French word virer to turn

OTHER WORDS FROM veer

veer·ing·ly, adverb

Words nearby veer

vee, Veeck, veejay, veena, veep, veer, veery, veg, Vega, Vega Alta, Vega Baja

Other definitions for veer (2 of 2)

veer²

[ veer ]

/ vɪər /

verb (used with object) Nautical.

to slacken or let out: to veer chain.

Origin of veer

1425–75; late Middle English vere<Middle Dutch vieren to let out

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use veer in a sentence

Almost immediately, my co-founder made it clear that my project management style was veering toward disaster.
How to avoid being controlled by your digital tools|Michael J. Coren|February 7, 2021|Quartz
The pandemic's effect on sleepEpstein has found that pandemic sleep habits have veered in two directions — better and worse — which have had an effect on naps.
Nap time is the new coffee break. Here’s how to make the most of it.|Galadriel Watson|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
Most notably, Miami-Dade County veered 22 points to the right in 2020 after drifting left in both 2012 and 2016.
How The Frost Belt And Sun Belt Illustrate The Complexity Of America’s Urban-Rural Divide|Geoffrey Skelley (geoffrey.skelley@abc.com)|January 27, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
The studied elegance of his “less-is-more” aesthetic keeps his film from veering into the manipulative territory that could easily undermine the cumulative emotional power it works so carefully to build.
Firth, Tucci face tragedy with restraint in ‘Supernova’|John Paul King|January 26, 2021|Washington Blade

So unless the sponsor really veers off course with the acquisition target, the investors are likely to go along with the acquisition.
WTF is a SPAC?|Tim Peterson|January 21, 2021|Digiday
Urban Outfitters has a track record of putting out products that veer into attention-grabbing, supposedly edgy territory.
Who Designed Urban Outfitters's Bloody Kent State Shirt? They Won't Say|Asawin Suebsaeng|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“We were taught with Reefer Madness that it was a hard-core drug and we should veer away from it,” she says.
Ganjapreneurs Line Up to Get Florida High|Abby Haglage|July 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The woman allegedly decided to hit her brakes suddenly and veer toward an exit, losing Tirico.
World Cup Anchor Mike Tirico’s Bizarre History: Reports of Stalking and Sexual Harassment|Marlow Stern|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And yet Cinco de Mayo can veer so, so quickly into Cinco de Weirdly Racist Douchebaggery.
How Not to Be Awful This Cinco de Mayo|Kelly Williams Brown|May 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is also his tendency to occasionally veer off-script, as he did recently with his attacks on Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.
Can Rand Paul Make It Rain?|David Freedlander|March 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A moment later they were edging their way down the declivity of what once had been a railroad track, at last to veer.
The White Desert|Courtney Ryley Cooper
If it should veer to the east before the second frame could be constructed the peril would be great.
Toilers of the Sea|Victor Hugo
It requires another head than mine to veer round so often (changer si souvent de systame).
History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. VII. (of XXI.)|Thomas Carlyle
In her preoccupation she let her fork veer away from her plate.
The Opened Shutters|Clara Louise Burnham
Jean Greb, seeing the peril, had chosen to climb above the steep portion on the west slope, rather than veer to the east.
Rescue Dog of the High Pass|James Arthur Kjelgaard

British Dictionary definitions for veer (1 of 2)

veer¹

/ (vɪə) /

verb

to alter direction (of); swing around

(intr) to change from one position, opinion, etc, to another

(intr)

(of the wind) to change direction clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern
nautical to blow from a direction nearer the sternCompare haul (def. 5)

nautical to steer (a vessel) off the wind

noun

a change of course or direction

Word Origin for veer

C16: from Old French virer, probably of Celtic origin; compare Welsh gwyro to diverge

British Dictionary definitions for veer (2 of 2)

veer²

/ (vɪə) /

verb

(tr; often foll by out or away) nautical to slacken or pay out (cable or chain)

Word Origin for veer

C16: from Dutch vieren, from Old High German fieren to give direction

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

veer

OTHER WORDS FOR veer

Origin of veer

OTHER WORDS FROM veer

Words nearby veer

Other definitions for veer (2 of 2)

Origin of veer

Words related to veer

How to use veer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for veer (1 of 2)

Word Origin for veer

British Dictionary definitions for veer (2 of 2)

Word Origin for veer