dodge
/dɒdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · [dˈɑdʒ] /dɑːdʒ/ (ame, ipa) · [dˈɑdʒ] /ˈdäj/ (ame, mw)
dodge — verb
- dodgepresent simple I / you / we / they
- dodgeshe / she / it
- dodgedpast simple
- dodging-ing form
1. to step or lean aside quickly so that a moving object, vehicle, or person headin
to step or lean aside quickly so that a moving object, vehicle, or person heading toward you does not strike you
Quan dodged the branch as it came crashing down from the tree above him.
dodge + noun (falling object)
The goalkeeper dodged to the left and managed to block the penalty kick.
intransitive: dodge + direction
Amani dodged a motorcycle that ran the red light at the intersection.
Children playing dodgeball learn to dodge quickly when a ball comes flying at their faces.
- get hit
the opposite outcome — failing to avoid the incoming object
- stand still
remaining in place rather than moving aside
文法句型
dodge + noun (the object being avoided)
dodge + adverbial (direction/location)
dodge + preposition + noun
用法筆記
Common in both transitive (dodge something) and intransitive (dodge to the side) patterns. The object is always something in motion that poses a physical threat — a punch, a ball, a car, a flying object.
常見錯誤
2. to get out of something you are supposed to do or deal with, especially by using
to get out of something you are supposed to do or deal with, especially by using a clever or dishonest excuse rather than facing it directly
Padma accused her business partner of dodging his share of the company's debts.
dodge + noun (obligation: share/duy/responsibility)
The politician dodged every question about the missing funds during the interview.
Benjamin has been dodging his taxes for years by registering companies overseas.
Mark tried to dodge doing the dishes by pretending he had a headache.
- evade
more formal and often implies breaking rules or laws; stronger sense of wrongdoing
- shirk
specifically about avoiding work or duty; sounds lazier than dishonest
- duck
informal; suggests quickly avoiding something, often by a sudden verbal shift
- sidestep
suggests avoiding a topic or issue rather than a responsibility; slightly less negative than dodge
- face
to deal with something directly instead of avoiding it
- confront
to meet a problem or person head-on, with courage
- take responsibility
to accept and handle a duty rather than escape it
文法句型
dodge + noun (duty/question/issue)
dodge + gerund (dodge paying / answering / doing)
dodge out of + noun (dodge out of a responsibility)
用法筆記
Often carries a negative moral judgment — the person is avoiding something they should face. Frequently used with legal or financial obligations (taxes, debts, duties) and conversational obligations (questions, topics). The gerund pattern 'dodge doing something' is common in informal British English.
常見錯誤
dodge — noun
- dodgesingular
- dodgesplural
1. a clever method, often morally questionable, used to avoid doing what the law or
a clever method, often morally questionable, used to avoid doing what the law or a situation requires you to do
The accountant was arrested for helping wealthy clients set up tax dodges.
compound noun: tax dodge
Calling in sick was just a dodge; Otis spent the afternoon at the beach.
Gabriel saw through the offer — a dodge to trick people out of their rights.
The company's environmental policy was nothing more than a public-relations dodge to avoid real changes.
- compliance
following the rules or doing what is required
- honesty
acting truthfully rather than through deception
用法筆記
Often appears in compound nouns: 'tax dodge', 'draft dodge'. The word implies disapproval — the speaker views the method as dishonest. In informal American English, 'dodge' alone can mean a clever trick: 'That's just a dodge.'
常見錯誤
2. a sudden sideways movement you make with your body to keep from being struck by
a sudden sideways movement you make with your body to keep from being struck by something or someone heading your way
With a quick dodge to the right, Ziad avoided the cyclist who had lost control.
collocation: quick dodge + direction
The player's dodge fooled the defender and opened up space for a shot at goal.
Maja trained for months to improve her dodge timing in the boxing ring.
A sudden dodge behind a car was how Christopher escaped the stray dog.
- sidestep
a more deliberate, smaller movement — usually one step to the side
- duck
specifically a downward movement of the head or body, not sideways
- lunge
a sudden forward movement, not sideways; implies reaching rather than avoiding
- swerve
used for vehicles or animals changing direction; implies continuous motion, not a single sharp move
- direct hit
being struck because you did not move out of the way
用法筆記
Typically appears with 'make' or 'do' ('made a dodge') or in sports contexts. Less common than the verb form. In everyday conversation, native speakers prefer the verb: 'I dodged' rather than 'I made a dodge.'