avert

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /əˈvɜrt/ UK /əˈvɜːt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to turn away or prevent something from happening

Quick thinking by the pilot averted what could have been a disaster.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to turn away or prevent... prevent avoid forestall ward deflect preclude obviate turn

Opposites

cause provoke incite induce

Word family

Derived forms averteravertibleavertable

Related forms aversion averse divert convert

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

avert your eyes
to look away, especially from something unpleasant or shocking

Verb + noun

Etymology

From Latin avertere ('to turn away'), from ab- ('away') + vertere ('to turn'), via Old French avertir.

avertere Latin vertere Latin *wert- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# avert

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /əˈvɜrt/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈvɜːt/

## Meanings
1. to turn away or prevent something from happening

## Examples
- Quick thinking by the pilot averted what could have been a disaster.

## Synonyms
- prevent
- avoid
- forestall
- ward
- deflect
- preclude
- obviate
- turn

## Antonyms
- cause
- provoke
- incite
- induce

## Derived Forms
- averter
- avertible
- avertable

## Related Forms
- aversion
- averse
- divert
- convert

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: avertere
- Root: vertere
- Root: *wert-

## Etymology
From Latin avertere ('to turn away'), from ab- ('away') + vertere ('to turn'), via Old French avertir.

## AI Etymology
Avert is a verb meaning "to turn away or prevent something from happening". Historically, it is from Latin avertere ('to turn away'), from ab- ('away') + vertere ('to turn'), via Old French avertir. The visible construction is part of the etymology: avert is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The historical chain links Latin avertere, Latin vertere, and Proto-Indo-European *wert-. Close English family members include averter, avertible, avertable, aversion, and averse.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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