Avoid
/əˈvɔɪd/
verbBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Idiom
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
To stay away from; to prevent or escape.
/əˈvɔɪd/
verbneutralBeginner
General
To prevent something from happening.
He skillfully avoided the puddle.
💡 Simply: To keep away from something.
More Examples
2
To avoid accidents, follow traffic rules.
How It's Used
General
"I tried to avoid the traffic jam."
Medical
"Patients are advised to avoid certain foods."
Idioms & expressions
avoid like the plague
To avoid something completely and thoroughly because it is unpleasant or dangerous.
"He avoids that restaurant like the plague after a bad experience."
From Old French eschiver, from eschever "to shun, evade," ultimately of Germanic origin.
The word 'avoid' has maintained a consistent meaning across centuries, focusing on the act of preventing or escaping something undesirable.
Memory tip
Think of 'a void' – you're creating an empty space between yourself and something you don't want.
Practice
aviodavoideavoidd
Usage
60%Spoken
40%Written