avoidverb [ T ]
uk/əˈvɔɪd/us/əˈvɔɪd/B1 to stay away from someone or something:
I try to avoid supermarkets on Saturdays - they're always so busy.
I'm anxious to avoid the motorway at rush hour.
Do you think Lukas is avoiding me? I haven't seen him all day.
B2 to prevent something from happening or to not allow yourself to do something:
[ + -ing verb ] I try to avoid going shopping on Saturdays.
The report studiously avoided any mention of the controversial plan.
The plane narrowly avoided disaster when one of the engines cut out on take-off.
I left the pub to avoid a fight (= prevent a fight from happening).
Unnecessary paperwork should be avoided (= prevented) at all costs.
More examples
- If we set off early tomorrow morning we'll avoid most of the traffic.
- The bus driver swerved to avoid hitting the cyclists.
- We need to examine how an accident like this can be avoided in the future.
- Try to avoid foods which contain a lot of fat.
- He took a different route which avoids the city centre.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Avoiding action
- avoid sth like the plague idiom
- avoidance
- bottle
- bottle out
- chicken
- flinch from sth/doing sth
- fudge
- get out of sth
- get round sth
- get-out clause
- insure
- shrink
- sit on your arse idiom
- skip out on sb/sth
- stand around
- stand by
- stand round
- steer
- welch
- welsh
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Preventing and impeding
Idiom(s)
avoid sth like the plague