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avoid

2 syllables
Quick answer

As a verb, avoid means try not to meet or communicate with (a person).

Meanings of avoid

16 meanings

verb

  1. To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun

  2. To stay out of the way of (something harmful).

    “''I avoided the slap easily.”

    “One town was flooded from the storm, while the other town avoided the storm.”

  3. To keep away from; to keep clear of; to stay away from

    “I try to avoid the company of gamblers.”

  4. To try not to do something or to have something happen

  5. now legalTo make void, to annul; to refute (especially a contract).

  6. legalTo defeat or evade; to invalidate.

  7. Prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; to protect from or to keep away anything undesirable; to ward off

    “Let's avoid a confrontation”

    “head off a confrontation”

    “avert a strike”

    Similar: debar, forefend, forfend, obviate, deflect, avert
  8. Refrain from doing something

    “He should avoid publishing his wife's memories”

  9. Refrain from certain foods or beverages

    “I keep off drugs”

    “During Ramadan, Muslims avoid tobacco during the day”

    Similar: keep off
  10. Declare invalid

    “The contract was annulled”

    “void a plea”

    Similar: invalidate, annul, quash, void, nullify
Older and rare meanings (6)
  1. obsoleteTo make empty; to clear.

  2. obsoleteTo emit or throw out; to void.

  3. obsoleteTo leave, evacuate; to leave as empty, to withdraw or come away from.

  4. obsoleteTo get rid of.

  5. obsoleteTo retire; to withdraw, depart, go away.

  6. obsoleteTo become void or vacant.

Meanings from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).

Synonyms by meaning

All synonyms for avoid →
verb: prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; to pro…
debarforefendforfendobviatedeflectaverthead offstave off
verb: refrain from certain foods or beverages
verb: declare invalid
Oppositesconfront

Words that rhyme with avoid

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