word-vault/dist/data/cards/av/avoid.json

A lightweight JavaScript package for English word definitions and collections.

{
    "term": "avoid",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "avoid",
            "heSheIt": "avoids"
        },
        "pastSimple": "avoided",
        "pastParticiple": "avoided",
        "ingForm": "avoiding"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to prevent something bad from happening",
            "sensetop": "avoid somethingavoid doing something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to avoid conflict/confrontation",
                    "contextForm": "avoid something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We must find a way to **avoid** similar **problems** in future."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They **narrowly avoided** defeat."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The name was changed to avoid confusion with another firm."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The accident could have been avoided."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Efforts are being made to **avoid** war **at all costs**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They built a wall to avoid soil being washed away.",
                    "contextForm": "avoid doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It is sometimes impossible to avoid conflict altogether."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They are anxious to avoid any further misunderstandings."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Most of these problems could have been easily avoided."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The authorities are eager to avoid bad publicity."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["altogether", "actively", "assiduously"],
                "verb + avoid": ["be anxious to", "want to", "wish to"],
                "phrases": [
                    "an attempt to avoid something",
                    "an effort to avoid something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to keep away from somebody/something; to try not to do something",
            "sensetop": "avoid somebody/somethingavoid doing something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He's been avoiding me all week.",
                    "contextForm": "avoid somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She kept avoiding my eyes *(= avoided looking at me)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "By staying at home he manages to avoid all contact with strangers."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Certain foods should be avoided during pregnancy."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I left early to avoid the rush hour."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He tried to avoid paying his taxes and was taken to court.",
                    "contextForm": "avoid doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I've been avoiding getting down to work all day."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You should avoid mentioning his divorce."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The two men carefully avoided one another."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I scrupulously avoid artificial additives when I buy food."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was careful to avoid any sentimentality in his speech."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She pointedly avoided looking at him when she spoke."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Getting involved in a court case is something to be avoided at all costs."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He deftly avoided answering the question."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He failed in his attempt to avoid having to pay."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["altogether", "actively", "assiduously"],
                "verb + avoid": ["be anxious to", "want to", "wish to"],
                "phrases": [
                    "an attempt to avoid something",
                    "an effort to avoid something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to prevent yourself from hitting something",
            "sensetop": "avoid something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The car swerved to avoid a cat."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He braked hard and narrowly avoided a parked van."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They ducked to avoid a low branch."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["narrowly"],
                "verb + avoid": ["brake to", "slow to", "slow down to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to try very hard not to meet somebody, do something, etc.",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She's been avoiding me like the plague since the party last Saturday."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I hate office parties—I avoid them like the plague."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to do/avoid doing something that is a mistake but that seems at first to be a good idea",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Parents often fall into the trap of trying to do everything for their children."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The movie avoids the trap of spending too much time explaining things."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈvɔɪd/",
                "audio": "av/avoid/avoid__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈvɔɪdz/",
                "audio": "av/avoid/avoids__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈvɔɪdɪd/",
                "audio": "av/avoid/avoided__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈvɔɪdɪŋ/",
                "audio": "av/avoid/avoiding__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈvɔɪd/",
                "audio": "av/avoid/avoid__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈvɔɪdz/",
                "audio": "av/avoid/avoids__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈvɔɪdɪd/",
                "audio": "av/avoid/avoided__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/əˈvɔɪdɪŋ/",
                "audio": "av/avoid/avoiding__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from Old French evuider ‘clear out, get rid of’, from vuide ‘empty’, related to Latin vacare ‘vacate’."
}