Word for avoiding something

How does the verb avoid contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of avoid are elude, escape, eschew, evade, and shun. While all these words mean «to get away or keep away from something,» avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

When might elude be a better fit than avoid?

While the synonyms elude and avoid are close in meaning, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

When is it sensible to use escape instead of avoid?

The words escape and avoid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

In what contexts can eschew take the place of avoid?

The words eschew and avoid can be used in similar contexts, but eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

When can evade be used instead of avoid?

In some situations, the words evade and avoid are roughly equivalent. However, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

Where would shun be a reasonable alternative to avoid?

While in some cases nearly identical to avoid, shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

The way Reverse Dictionary works is pretty simple. It simply looks through tonnes of dictionary definitions and grabs the ones that most closely match your search query. For example, if you type something like «longing for a time in the past», then the engine will return «nostalgia». The engine has indexed several million definitions so far, and at this stage it’s starting to give consistently good results (though it may return weird results sometimes). It acts a lot like a thesaurus except that it allows you to search with a definition, rather than a single word. So in a sense, this tool is a «search engine for words», or a sentence to word converter.

I made this tool after working on Related Words which is a very similar tool, except it uses a bunch of algorithms and multiple databases to find similar words to a search query. That project is closer to a thesaurus in the sense that it returns synonyms for a word (or short phrase) query, but it also returns many broadly related words that aren’t included in thesauri. So this project, Reverse Dictionary, is meant to go hand-in-hand with Related Words to act as a word-finding and brainstorming toolset. For those interested, I also developed Describing Words which helps you find adjectives and interesting descriptors for things (e.g. waves, sunsets, trees, etc.).

In case you didn’t notice, you can click on words in the search results and you’ll be presented with the definition of that word (if available). The definitions are sourced from the famous and open-source WordNet database, so a huge thanks to the many contributors for creating such an awesome free resource.

Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source code that was used in this project: Elastic Search, @HubSpot, WordNet, and @mongodb.

Please note that Reverse Dictionary uses third party scripts (such as Google Analytics and advertisements) which use cookies. To learn more, see the privacy policy.

I am looking for a word that means «tendency to avoid something». At first I thought that aversion fit the bill, but then I learned that it meant «a strong dislike towards something.»

For example, most people have an aversion towards feces. I am looking for a word that more along the lines of «they don’t hate PBJs, they just try to avoid them as much as possible.»

I am referring to general avoidance of a (leniently) specific thing. Example:

My friend almost always avoids walking counterclockwise around a table. He must have a [insert word here] towards such an action.

rather than «My Aunt avoided crossing the projected path of a speeding trash truck today. I think it saved her life.»

ermanen's user avatar

ermanen

59k34 gold badges159 silver badges291 bronze badges

asked Mar 28, 2014 at 3:45

DanielTA's user avatar

2

Disinclination is a good fit. It covers both unwillingness and a mild aversion so you tend to avoid that thing. It does not suggest a strong dislike also.

  • a lack of inclination; a mild aversion or reluctance.

  • that toward which you are inclined to feel dislike

Thefreedictionary

answered Mar 28, 2014 at 15:50

ermanen's user avatar

ermanenermanen

59k34 gold badges159 silver badges291 bronze badges

Aversion is an acceptable word for this. Read definition number 3.

Aversion is a strong dislike, but it carries a sense of repellence, too. Per Merriam-Webster: It is a tendency to extinguish a behavior or to avoid a thing or situation and especially a usually pleasurable one because it is or has been associated with a noxious stimulus.

I think this sounds exactly like the word you are requesting.

You can absolutely have an aversion to PB&Js.

answered Mar 28, 2014 at 4:01

David M's user avatar

David MDavid M

22.3k11 gold badges72 silver badges122 bronze badges

6

Eschew is to habitually avoid for both moral/practical reasons

A list of synonymous choices; I prefer forbear
http://law.academic.ru/31912/eschew

answered Mar 28, 2014 at 4:46

Third News's user avatar

Third NewsThird News

7,43816 silver badges28 bronze badges

Because of the strong connotative charges associated with the adjective averse and its noun aversion, as well as to many synonymous words, such as opposed and opposition, one might do well to select something of similar meaning and softer connotation.

I might suggest forego used as in example:

She set down the sandwich and replied, «Indeed, we did forego PB&Js at the monastery on account of their perceived decadence.» She sipped her milk and continued, with a furtive smile, «Of course, we’re much more averse to needless starvation than we are to bending the dogmatic principles of our order when they simply do not apply.»

The above sloppily-spun pseudo-excerpt serves to illustrate the difference between the idea of to be in opposition of something and the idea of to bypass if possible.

If we need a noun phrase, we could explore use of the word disposition. For example, it may be said that one is not predisposed to PB&Js or that one is of the disposition to forego PB&Js and so on.

answered Mar 28, 2014 at 5:15

miercoledi's user avatar

miercoledimiercoledi

4092 silver badges6 bronze badges

Abstain and refrain are two words that I can think of and haven’t been covered already.

tchrist's user avatar

tchrist

132k48 gold badges366 silver badges566 bronze badges

answered Mar 28, 2014 at 6:51

manu's user avatar

manumanu

534 bronze badges

1

You shun the object of your aversion.

You will also be exhibiting avoidant behaviour.

answered Apr 25, 2014 at 11:04

Erik Kowal's user avatar

Erik KowalErik Kowal

26.7k1 gold badge48 silver badges91 bronze badges

Avoidance? «He didn’t hate relationships; he just had a serious avoidance towards them.»

Avoidance is the action of keeping away from something.

answered Jun 7, 2020 at 0:38

Harry's user avatar

Some common synonyms of avoid are elude, escape, eschew, evade, and shun.

What is it called when you purposely ignore someone?

disregard intentionally or let pass. verb. bar from attention or consideration. synonyms: brush aside, brush off, discount, dismiss, ignore, push aside.

What is a word for lack of attention?

inattention. noun. a lack of attention or care.

What is a word for hard to ignore?

exigent Add to list Share. When you describe something as exigent, you are saying it requires attention: it can’t be ignored.

What’s a word for making something seem unimportant?

understate Add to list Share. One way to think about the verb understate is as the opposite of «exaggerate.» If you want to make something seem smaller or less important than it really is, you’re likely to understate it.

What A Man Is Thinking When He Ignores You (SHOCKER)

What does it mean to blatantly ignore someone?

2 offensively noticeable. blatant disregard for a person’s feelings.

What is deliberate ignoring?

The procedure of planned ignoring involves deliberate parental inattention to the occurrence of target child behaviors. In other words, parents identify behaviors that function as a means of getting their attention and selectively ignore them.

Is ignoring a type of abuse?

Silent Treatment – What It is and What It’s Not

But here’s the thing about blatantly ignoring someone: not only is it rude, immature, inconsiderate, cruel, and petty, it’s downright emotionally (and sometimes physically) damaging. Ignoring someone is not an act of love. In fact, silent treatment qualifies as abuse.

Is ignoring someone toxic behavior?

Most psychologists indicate that it depends on the situation. When silence, or, rather, the refusal to engage in a conversation, is used as a control tactic to exert power in a relationship, then it becomes «the silent treatment,» which is toxic, unhealthy, and abusive.

What to do if someone ignores you intentionally?

How Do You Respond To Being Ignored?

  1. Take a step back. Your partner may simply need some space to collect their thoughts and deal with their own emotions. …
  2. Distract yourself. …
  3. Check if they are actually ignoring you. …
  4. Try not to overreact. …
  5. Communicate.

Is ignoring manipulative?

It’s fine to ask for time to reflect on an argument or to tell someone who deeply hurt you that you no longer wish to speak to them. But ignoring a person to punish them or make them fearful is a manipulative tactic.

What is the word for avoiding doing something?

Some common synonyms of avoid are elude, escape, eschew, evade, and shun.

What is the word for make someone feel unwelcome?

mistreat. Synonyms:prey on, discriminate, oppress, persecute, victimize, trample, use, wrong, be rough on someone.

What is another term for not important?

Synonyms: inessential, unessential. not basic or fundamental. inconsequent, inconsequential. lacking worth or importance. immaterial, indifferent.

Is ignoring a form of emotional abuse?

Share on Pinterest Refusing to communicate verbally with another person can be a form of emotional abuse. People use the silent treatment for a number of reasons. These include: Avoidance: In some cases, people stay silent in a conversation because they do not know what to say or want to avoid conflict.

What psychology says about ignored by a person?

Research finds that feeling ignored can affect people’s sensory perceptions, such as feeling that surroundings seem quieter. Being ignored creates feelings of self-doubt, feeling a lack of control, and feeling not worthy of attention.

Why do people give the silent treatment?

The silent treatment (also known as withholding) is used to punish and regain control of a person. It may feel good to ignore your partner when you feel slighted but, it keeps you from finding real solutions to the problems that are bugging you the most.

How do you ignore someone who keeps hurting you?

Walk away if the other person is being intentionally hurtful.

  1. If you feel comfortable doing so, calmly say something like, “Stop doing that,” or “The way you’re acting is out of line. I’m leaving.”
  2. If you can’t just walk away, use your actions to show the other person you’re not willing to interact.

Is it rude to ignore someone in person?

Simply ignoring someone because you are not in the mood to talk is not mature behavior for any person. In fact, it’s a huge sign of avoidance. However, there are times when ignoring someone may be the only way to avoid engaging in conflict or making an existing situation potentially damaging.

How to deal with someone who gives you the silent treatment?

Tell the person how the silent treatment hurts and leaves you feeling frustrated and alone. That’s not what you want or need in a relationship. Explain that you can’t resolve issues this way, then be specific about those issues. If this sort of behavior is a relationship deal-breaker for you, state it plainly.

How do you deal with someone who Stonewalls?

Here Are Some Alternative Responses When My Partner Stonewalls Me

  1. Empathy Goes a Long Way. …
  2. Be Open and Available to Talk. …
  3. Connect with One Another. …
  4. Communication, Communication, Communication. …
  5. Try to Avoid Going Toe to Toe. …
  6. Focus on Your Self-Care. …
  7. Pardon Your Partner. …
  8. Stress Management.

Is stonewalling a form of narcissism?

Narcissist Stonewalling

Stonewalling is the refusal to communicate with someone. This means that your spouse refuses to listen to you and your concerns. Stonewalling is one of the most prevalent narcissistic abuse techniques.

How do you communicate with someone who shuts down?

What to do when someone you love shuts down

  1. take a break from, or “table” the conversation.
  2. write down your thoughts and feelings to revisit later.
  3. stay calm.
  4. don’t retaliate.
  5. don’t throw an adult temper tantrum.
  6. do something self-soothing.
  7. consider professional intervention.

What trauma causes stonewalling?

Stonewalling Maybe Rooted In Trauma

In some cases, stonewalling is a trauma response. Those who experienced trauma, perhaps as a child or in previous relationship, will sometimes develop stonewalling as a coping mechanisism. It is a form of self preservation, like someone who passes out under extreme stress.

What is another word for Avoid?

Use filters to view other words, we have 1884 synonyms for avoid.

Synonyms for avoid

If you know synonyms for Avoid, then you can share it or put your rating in listed similar words.

Similar words of avoid

  • APA
  • MLA
  • CMS

Понравилась статья? Поделить с друзьями:
  • Word for avoiding a topic
  • Word for at the right moment
  • Word for at all events
  • Word for asking a question you know the answer to
  • Word for ashamed of