avoid
[verb]
Synonyms:
- refrain from, dodge, duck (out of) (informal), eschew, fight shy of, shirk
- prevent, avert
- keep away from, bypass, dodge, elude, escape, evade, shun, steer clear of

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Antonyms: face, meet
Contrasted words: court, invite, solicit
Related Idioms: give a miss (or a wide berth), have no truck with, set one's face against, steer clear of, turn one's back on
Related Words: avert, deflect, divert, obviate, prevent, ward (off), debar, exclude, preclude, forbid, prohibit

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English Thesaurus: avoid, stay away/keep away, steer clear of somebody/something, make a detour, get out of something, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

a‧void S2 W1 /əˈvɔɪd/ verb [transitive]
[Word Family: verb: avoid; noun: avoidance; adverb: unavoidably; adjective: avoidable ≠ unavoidable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: esvuidier, from vuidier 'to empty']

1. to prevent something bad from happening:
Road safety is taught to young children to avoid road accidents.
It is important to take measures to avoid the risk of fire.
avoid doing something
The refugees left to avoid getting bombed.
Alan narrowly avoided an accident.

2. to stay away from someone or something, or not use something:
Everyone seemed to be avoiding Nick.
She carefully avoided his eyes (=did not look directly at his face).
Pregnant women should avoid certain foods such as raw eggs.
Why did you speak to him? You usually avoid him like the plague (=try hard to avoid him).

3. to deliberately not do something, especially something wrong, dangerous, or harmful:
There are ways of legally avoiding taxes.
avoid doing something
You should avoid over-spending in the first half of the year.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

avoid
verb
I. prevent sth
ADV. altogether It is sometimes impossible to avoid conflict altogether.
narrowly They narrowly avoided defeat in the semi-final.
at all costs Getting involved in a court case is something to be avoided at all costs.
VERB + AVOID be anxious to, want to, wish to They are anxious to avoid any further misunderstandings.
attempt to, try to | be careful to, take care to He was careful to avoid any sentimentality in his speech.
help (to) | be able to, manage to | be possible to | be difficult to, be impossible to
PHRASES an attempt/effort to avoid sth He failed in his attempt to avoid having to pay.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

avoid
II. keep away from sb
ADV. carefully, deliberately, studiously The two men carefully avoided one another.
VERB + AVOID try to

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

avoid
III. not hit sb/sth when driving
ADV. narrowly He braked hard and narrowly avoided a parked van.
VERB + AVOID brake to | swerve to She swerved to avoid a cyclist.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

avoid
verb
1.
BAD: He put his hand over my mouth to avoid me to scream.
GOOD: He put his hand over my mouth to prevent me from screaming.
BAD: These new measures are intended to avoid the spread of the disease.
GOOD: These new measures are intended to prevent the spread of the disease.
GOOD: These new measures are intended to prevent the disease from spreading.

Usage Note:
avoid (doing) sth = be careful not to do something: 'The best way to lose weight is to avoid eating fatty foods.' 'These drugs are dangerous and should be avoided.' 'Try to avoid subjects that can cause offence.'
prevent sb/sth (from doing sth) = stop someone or something from doing something; stop something from happening: 'The wall is supposed to prevent dogs from getting into the garden.' 'It is hoped that the new speed limit will help to prevent accidents.'

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2.
BAD: He is such a nice man that you can't avoid liking him.
GOOD: He is such a nice man that you can't help liking him.
BAD: I couldn't avoid falling in love with her.
GOOD: I couldn't help falling in love with her.

Usage Note:
can't help doing sth = cannot stop yourself from doing something:
'Whenever he tries to sing, I just can't help laughing.'

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3.
BAD: I told him that we would be grateful if he would kindly avoid ringing our doorbell after midnight.
GOOD: I told him that we would be grateful if he would kindly refrain from ringing our doorbell after midnight.

Usage Note:
refrain from doing sth = (formal) stop yourself from doing something because other people do not like it: 'Hotel guests are asked to refrain from smoking in the restaurants.'

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4.
BAD: I avoid to use a computer for personal letters.
GOOD: I avoid using a computer for personal letters.

Usage Note:
avoid doing sth (NOT to do ): 'He obviously wants to avoid getting involved in the dispute.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

avoid to deliberately not go near a person or place:
Why have you been avoiding me?
We avoided Park Street because of the traffic.
stay away/keep away to avoid a person or place, especially a dangerous one:
She walked along the path, keeping well away from the edge of the cliff.
That man is trouble – I’d stay away from him.
steer clear of somebody/something informal to avoid a person or place, because there could be problems if you do not:
I usually steer clear of the kitchen when Alan’s cooking.
I’d steer clear of Matthew if I were you.
make a detour to avoid a place by travelling around it instead of through the centre:
We had to make a long detour because of the floods.
get out of something to avoid doing something you should do or something you promised to do. Get out of is more common than avoid in everyday spoken English:
We promised we’d go – we can’t get out of it now.
wriggle out of something (also wiggle out of something American English) to avoid doing something you should do by making up excuses. Used to show disapproval:
He always seems to wriggle out of helping with the kids.
evade formal to avoid doing something that legally or morally you should do – used especially about taxes or responsibilities:
It is an offence to evade taxes.
The US cannot evade its responsibility for the war.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

avoid to find a way of not doing something that you should do:
Some people will do anything to avoid work.
get out of something to avoid doing something you should do or something you promised to do. Get out of is more common than avoid in everyday spoken English:
We promised we’d go – we can’t get out of it now.
wriggle out of something (also wiggle out of something American English) to avoid doing something you should do by making up excuses. Used to show disapproval:
He always seems to wriggle out of helping with the kids.
evade formal to avoid doing something that legally or morally you should do – used especially about taxes or responsibilities:
It is an offence to evade taxes.
The US cannot evade its responsibility for the war.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲