Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of avoid

21 similar words · 6 opposite words

Another word for avoid is dodge. Other synonyms of avoid are help, escape, skirt, evade and shun. The opposite of avoid is engage.

Synonyms and similar words for avoid

verbMore synonyms

  • abjure
  • avert
  • stave offTo prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert.
  • dodgeTo avoid (something) by moving suddenly out of the way.
  • duck
  • helpTo avoid; to prevent; to refrain from; to restrain (oneself). Usually used in nonassertive contexts with can.
  • elude
  • escapeTo avoid (any unpleasant person or thing); to elude, get away from.
  • eschewTo avoid; to shun, to shy away from.
  • evadeTo get away from by cunning; to avoid by using dexterity, subterfuge, address, or ingenuity; to cleverly escape from.
  • evitateTo shun; to avoid.
  • get away from
  • long offTo avoid, to sack off, to kick into the long grass.
  • sack offTo abandon, to avoid, to get rid of, to cut relations with.
  • sidestepTo avoid or dodge.
  • shy away fromTo avoid out of fear or caution.
  • skirtTo move around or along the border of; to avoid the center of.
  • shunTo avoid, especially persistently; ostracize.
  • steer clearTo avoid; to dodge; to sidestep.
  • swerveTo turn aside or deviate to avoid impact.
  • waive rareTo put aside, avoid.

Opposite of avoid

verbMore antonyms

Meaning of avoid

  1. verb To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun.
  2. verb To stay out of the way of (something harmful).
  3. verb To keep away from; to keep clear of; to stay away from.

Full definition of avoid

avoid in other languages

Questions about synonyms of avoid

What is another word for avoid?
Avoid has 21 synonyms on Word.ws, such as dodge, help, escape, skirt, evade, shun and eschew.
What is the opposite of avoid?
The opposite of avoid is engage.
What does avoid mean?
Avoid means to try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: avoid (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of avoid.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/avoid. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.