avert

present singular third person averts · participle present averting · participle past averted · past averted

1. transitiveTo turn aside or away.

   I averted my eyes while my friend typed in her password.

   1 more example

   When atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion, it doth avert them from the church.

   1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Unity in Religion”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC

2. transitiveTo ward off, or prevent, the occurrence or effects of.

   How can the danger be averted?

   2 more examples

   Till ardent prayer averts the public woe.

   1700, Matthew Prior, Carmen Seculare. for the Year 1700

   Indeed, there was some highly questionable jiggery-pokery with couplings and continuous brakes in this agreeable story, which featured Moore Marriott as an old driver who averts a disaster on his last run.

   1958 February 28, David Gunston, “Railways on the Screen”, in Railway Magazine, page 90

   Synonyms: forestall

3. archaicintransitiveTo turn away.

   Cold and averting from our neighbour's good.

   a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC