averta‧vert /əˈvɜːt $ -ɜːrt/ ●○○ verb [transitive] 
The tragedy could have been averted if the crew had followed safety procedures.2avert your eyes/gaze etc to look away from something so that you do not see it: Henry averted his eyes as she undressed.
WORD ORIGINavert
Origin:
1300-1400 Old French avertir, from Latin avertere, from ad- ‘to’ + vertere ‘to turn’VERB TABLE
avert
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | avert |
| he, she, it | averts | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | averted |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have averted |
| he, she, it | has averted | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had averted |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will avert |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have averted |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am averting |
| he, she, it | is averting | |
| you, we, they | are averting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was averting |
| you, we, they | were averting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been averting |
| he, she, it | has been averting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been averting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be averting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been averting |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- It may already be too late to avert another disaster.
- Talks will be held today in a final attempt to avert strike action.
- Using an "automatic train stop" could have averted the disaster.
- A pair of University students passing by hastily averted their faces to hide their giggles.
- And in response, I promise you that we shall do our best to avert it, or at least contain it.
- Another world crisis averted through the high art of diplomacy.
- Fears of large-scale coastal flooding were averted as the fierce winds shifted at the last minute.
- I avert my eyes and wish I were them.
- I averted my gaze, taking in a deep breath then just to prove I could.
- The answer may be one or both of these and only a careful rescue package can avert a total disaster.
- The information had reached Adamowski and, if it were true, there was no way a scandal could be averted.
Longman Language Activatorto stop looking at someone or something
to turn your eyes away from something that you were looking at: · The accident scene was so horrible that I had to look away.· The minute he looked away, I crumpled the piece of paper and shoved it in my coat pocket.look away from: · She looked away from him, unable to tell him the truth
to stop looking at something and turn your face upwards, in order to see someone or talk to them: · There was a loud bang outside the classroom, and we all looked up.look up from: · "Goodbye, then," she said, without even looking up from her book.
also look round British to turn your eyes away from what you were looking at and start to look at what is around you: · Alan put down his newspaper and looked around, "What was that noise?"· The speaker finished her speech and looked round to see if there were any questions.
to stop looking at someone or something by turning your face in another direction, especially because you are embarrassed or upset: · He burped loudly, and she turned her face away in disgust.turn your face away from: · Turning his face away from her, Glen began to cry.
formal to deliberately turn your eyes away from what you are looking at, because you do not want to look at it any longer: · The two averted their eyes as they passed each other in the hall.· When Celia dropped her robe, Richard averted his gaze and stepped back awkwardly.
to make sure that something does not happen to make sure that something will not happen or cannot happen, especially something bad. Prevent is more formal than stop: · Many people now believe that a good diet can help to prevent cancer.· The new laws are designed to stop discrimination in the workplace.prevent/stop something (from) happening: · A special valve prevents the waste gases from escaping.· Stretch the rope out to stop it getting twisted and tangled up.
to do something to prevent something bad that may happen: · The company is anxious to avoid an expensive court case.· We take every precaution to avoid accidents.avoid something at all costs (=do everything possible to avoid something happening): · Civilian casualties must be avoided at all costs.
formal to do something to prevent something bad that will happen very soon if you do not do anything: · It may already be too late to avert another disaster.· Talks will be held today in a final attempt to avert strike action.
to do something to stop a difficult or unpleasant situation from developing, when it seems very likely to happen soon: · They agreed to meet government ministers in an attempt to head off a major conflict.· We managed to head off a financial crisis last year, but we may not be so lucky this year.
to carefully plan and think about what you can do in order to prevent something bad from happening: · The city council is taking emergency measures to guard against flooding in the city centre.· Use sunscreen on your skin to help guard against skin cancer.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Sudan requires food immediately to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
Sudan requires food immediately to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. (=stop it happening)· More talks were proposed in an attempt to avert the crisis.
· They called for an international programme to prevent the disaster happening again.
literary (=look away from something)· He averted his eyes from the body.
(=look away)· Miller averted his eyes from the beggars that lined the streets.
(=prevent it from happening)· The owners could have done something to avert the tragedy.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· A second jet disaster was narrowly averted in Bogota on Thursday.
NOUN· Computer system users can not control risk management decisions, but suffer big losses when inadequate protection fails to avert catastrophe.· What averted catastrophe was the introduction of widespread electronic communications, especially for education and entertainment.· We are the last generation who can avert this catastrophe.· Are there no other ways of intervening in their environment to avert the catastrophe Walinsky describes?
· Although this agreement averted a government crisis, Marjanne Sint submitted her resignation as PvdA chair over the issue on Aug. 30.· My initial reaction was relief: We had averted another financial crisis.· Nigel Clough did more than anyone to avert a crisis for his old man.· A global concerted effort is required to avert a global health crisis.
· We can avert that danger here.· Animals are killed only to avert mystical dangers which cause illness and death.· Paul Deas averted more danger for the home men as he ended a fine run by Neil Duffy.
· At a fairly young age I learnt to sniff out danger and step into choppy conversations to skilfully avert disaster.· The answer may be one or both of these and only a careful rescue package can avert a total disaster.· Leader comment, page 18 Driver averts tanker disaster.
· Martin waved but Louise averted her face, pretending not to see them.· A pair of University students passing by hastily averted their faces to hide their giggles.· At first we would wince inwardly as eyes were averted from our faces when we opened conversation with another human being.· And, over the years, he had learned to avert his face, to sidestep, to damp down the fires.· He said nothing at all and she averted her face, staring out of the window, hoping he hadn't noticed.
· This may be the wrong time for the party to avert its gaze.· Neither of us cries but we are obviously repressing deep emotions, and peo-ple, sensing this, avert their gaze.· Art, it seems, is the perpetual recidivist, always ducking back into the aesthetic as soon as vigilant life averts its gaze.· In it the artist portrays a disheveled thirty-one-year-old Morisot averting her gaze from the viewer.· I averted my gaze and felt uncomfortable.· He averted his gaze from the Fermoyle house, where Jozia might be watching him this very moment.· No, but I've averted my gaze a few times.· I averted my gaze, taking in a deep breath then just to prove I could.
· Leading up to all this, there were days when we spent 30 straight hours trying to avert a strike.
· Embattled Mr Major did manage to avert an immediate world trade war.
VERB· By and large he kept them averted.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
1to prevent something unpleasant from happening: - Art, it seems, is the perpetual recidivist, always ducking back into the aesthetic as soon as vigilant life averts its gaze.
- He stepped into the aisle, averting his eyes from the altar.
- I averted my eyes from her.
- I averted my gaze and felt uncomfortable.
- I wish I had power, just power enough to avert my eyes.
- In it the artist portrays a disheveled thirty-one-year-old Morisot averting her gaze from the viewer.
- Sometimes Fate tiptoes discreetly at the margins of our lives, averting her eyes and keeping her distance.
- They avert their eyes when they pass her in the hall.
The tragedy could have been averted if the crew had followed safety procedures.2avert your eyes/gaze etc to look away from something so that you do not see it: Henry averted his eyes as she undressed.