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avoid

/əˈvɔɪd/verb2 syllables

Avoid means: prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; to protect from or to keep away anything undesirable; to ward off.

Synonyms for avoid28

verb, as in prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; to protect from or to keep away anything undesirable; to ward off

debar, forefend, forfend, obviate, deflect, avert, head off, stave off, fend off, ward off

verb, as in declare invalid

invalidate, annul, quash, void, nullify

verb, as in refrain from certain foods or beverages

keep off

also used for avoid

abjure, dodge, duck, help, elude, escape, eschew, evade, evitate, get away from, long off, sack off

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Opposites of avoid

What does avoid mean?5

verb

1

prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; to protect from or to keep away anything undesirable; to ward off“Let's avoid a confrontation”

2

declare invalid“The contract was annulled”

3

refrain from certain foods or beverages“I keep off drugs”

4

stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something“Her former friends now avoid her”

5

refrain from doing something“He should avoid publishing his wife's memories”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with avoid?12

one syllable

three syllables

unemployedoverjoyed
Show 40 near rhymes

Avoid in a sentence

  • If one wants to grow, one must not avoid hardships.unknown
  • Thanks to the opportunity, we were able to avoid substantial effort.slyfin
  • On gift-giving occasions, people generally avoid giving money, but there are exceptions.CM
  • Driving carefully, you'll be able to avoid accidents.unknown
  • According to legend, the wood used to be haunted, so people would avoid it.unknown
  • After all, even salesmen are desperate to avoid being targeted for downsizing.fcbond
  • It'd be better to avoid her now, because she's violent.witbrock
  • To avoid injury or discomfort, be sure that the vagina is lubricated before intercourse.corvard

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of avoid

as a verb

past tense
avoided
present participle
avoiding
third-person singular
avoids
past participle
avoided