deflect
verb /dɪˈflekt/
/dɪˈflekt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they deflect | /dɪˈflekt/ /dɪˈflekt/ |
| he / she / it deflects | /dɪˈflekts/ /dɪˈflekts/ |
| past simple deflected | /dɪˈflektɪd/ /dɪˈflektɪd/ |
| past participle deflected | /dɪˈflektɪd/ /dɪˈflektɪd/ |
| -ing form deflecting | /dɪˈflektɪŋ/ /dɪˈflektɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to change direction or make something change direction, especially after hitting something
- The ball deflected off Reid's body into the goal.
- deflect something He raised his arm to try to deflect the blow.
- The defender nearly deflected the ball into his own net.
- [transitive] deflect something to succeed in preventing something from being directed towards you synonym divert
- All attempts to deflect attention from his private life have failed.
- She sought to deflect criticism by blaming her family.
- The government is seeking to deflect attention away from this problem.
- [transitive] deflect somebody (from something) to prevent somebody from doing something that they are determined to do
- The government will not be deflected from its commitments.
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from Latin deflectere, from de- ‘away from’ + flectere ‘to bend’.