avoid
avoid
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "avoid" is /əˈvɔɪd/.
First syllable: /ə/ (the 'a' sound, like in "about")
Second syllable: /vɔɪd/ (the 'voi' sound, like in "voice", followed by a 'd' sound)
Word Form Variations
Base Form (Infinitive): avoid
Third-person singular present: avoids
Present Participle: avoiding
Past Tense: avoided
Past Participle: avoided
Noun Form: avoidance
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
Definition 1: To take deliberate action to stay clear of or prevent encountering someone or something, often due to a desire to escape an undesirable outcome or interaction.
Synonyms: evade, shun, dodge, sidestep, circumvent, elude
Antonyms: confront, face, meet, seek, encounter, embrace
Definition 2: To refrain from doing or using something; to keep oneself from engaging in a particular activity or habit.
Synonyms: abstain from, desist from, refrain from, forgo
Antonyms: pursue, indulge in, engage in, partake in
Noun
Avoidance (derived from the verb "avoid"): The act or practice of keeping away from or preventing the occurrence of something.
Definition: The systematic effort to prevent encountering or dealing with a particular person, thing, or situation.
Synonyms: evasion, circumvention, shirking, sidestepping, escapism
Antonyms: confrontation, engagement, embrace, pursuit
Examples of Use
Books: "To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing." (Elbert Hubbard, A Thousand and One Epigrams, 1911)
Newspapers: "The central bank moved to avoid a banking crisis by injecting liquidity into the financial system." (The Wall Street Journal)
Online Publications: "How to avoid common pitfalls when investing in cryptocurrency." (CoinDesk.com)
Entertainment Mediums (Film): In the film The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne advises Red on how to avoid trouble in prison by "keeping your head down." (1994)
Entertainment Platforms (Video Games): A common instruction in stealth-based video games is "Press 'C' to crouch and avoid detection by enemies." (From various game tutorials)
General Public Discourse: "I try to avoid rush hour traffic by leaving for work earlier in the morning." (Conversational English)
General Public Discourse: "Experts recommend you avoid touching your face to prevent the spread of germs." (Public health advisories)
10 Quotes Using Avoid
"The best way to avoid responsibility is to say, 'I've got responsibilities.'" (Richard Bach)
"To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing." (Elbert Hubbard)
"The first step to avoiding the mistakes of the past is to acknowledge them." (Robert Kiyosaki)
"You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality." (Ayn Rand)
"One of the best ways to avoid trouble is to keep your mouth shut." (Kim Jong-il)
"We can only avoid a crisis if we are aware of it in advance." (Paul Polman)
"I avoid looking back. I prefer to look forward." (Grace Kelly)
"To avoid being a victim, you must be a victor." (Lailah Gifty Akita)
"The secret to a happy life is to avoid bad choices." (Joel Osteen)
"The best way to avoid danger is to meet it plump." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring)
Etymology
The word "avoid" has an interesting journey through language! It ultimately comes from Old French, specifically the word "esvuidier." This Old French word was a combination of "es-" (meaning "out" or "from") and "vuidier" (meaning "to empty" or "to clear").
So, if you think about it, "esvuidier" originally had the sense of "to empty out" or "to clear out a space."
When it came into Middle English (around the late 14th century), it kept this idea of "clearing out." Initially, "avoid" could mean things like "to empty," "to remove," "to discharge," or even "to depart from." Imagine "avoiding" a room by emptying it, or "avoiding" a place by leaving it.
Over time, the meaning shifted and narrowed to what we commonly understand today: to actively keep away from someone or something, or to prevent something from happening. This modern sense likely got a boost from confusion with another Old French word, "eviter," which specifically meant "to shun" or "to escape."
So, while its earliest roots relate to emptying, its modern meaning of "shunning" or "keeping clear of" developed from a related sense of "clearing oneself out" of a situation.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Avoid
Avoid at all costs: To make every effort to prevent something from happening or to stay away from something completely.
Avoid like the plague: To strongly and deliberately stay away from someone or something, indicating extreme dislike or fear.
Avoid the issue/question: To deliberately refrain from addressing a particular topic or answering a direct question.
Avoidance behavior: Actions taken to evade uncomfortable or stressful situations.
To avoid trouble: To act in a way that prevents problems or difficulties from arising.
Avoid a collision: To take action to prevent two moving objects from hitting each other.
To avoid eye contact: To refrain from looking directly into someone's eyes, often indicating shyness, discomfort, or deception.
Avoidance of doubt: (Legal/Formal) Used to clarify a statement or ensure no ambiguity.
To avoid unnecessary risks: To be cautious and not engage in actions that could lead to harm or failure when not required.
Avoidance coping: A psychological strategy where an individual tries to ignore or escape problems rather than confront them.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of avoid from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
