avoid
/əˈvɔɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈvɔɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈvȯid/ (ame, mw)
avoid — verb
1. to make a deliberate effort not to go near a person, place, or situation, so tha
to make a deliberate effort not to go near a person, place, or situation, so that you do not have to deal with them
After their argument at work, Emma quietly avoided Yusuf for the rest of the week.
The shopkeeper avoided the busy market square every morning by taking a quiet back road.
Neha avoided eye contact with her mother when the question about the party came up.
During the music festival, Mandla avoided the crowded main stage and sat near the river.
The frightened cat avoided the neighbour's large dog by climbing onto the garden roof.
- evade
suggests active cleverness or trickery to escape
- shun
stronger and more deliberate, often social rejection
- steer clear of
informal, very common in everyday speech
文法句型
avoid + noun/pronoun
用法筆記
The object is usually a person, place, or situation that you want to keep distance from. This sense does not take a gerund complement — use a noun or pronoun.
2. to take action that stops something unpleasant from happening, or to choose not
to take action that stops something unpleasant from happening, or to choose not to do something that might cause harm or problems
By wearing a wide hat and staying in the shade, Yuki avoided getting badly sunburnt.
avoided getting
To avoid any confusion, the manager sent clear written instructions to every team member.
After last year's loud argument, Ana carefully avoided discussing politics at family dinners.
Fernando avoided a serious car accident when he braked just before the crossing.
Evelyn avoided eating dairy products because they upset her stomach every time.
- prevent
focuses on stopping something external from happening
- refrain from
focuses on choosing not to do something oneself
- dodge
informal, often suggests quick or clever avoidance of a specific issue
文法句型
avoid + noun
avoid + gerund
用法筆記
Frequently followed by a gerund (avoid + -ing verb) to describe not doing something. Can also take a noun directly (avoid + noun). Do not use a to-infinitive after 'avoid'.