eschew
verb
transitive verb
Did you know?
Eschew derives from the Anglo-French verb eschiver and is akin to the Old High German verb sciuhen ("to frighten off"), an ancestor of our word shy. In his famous dictionary of 1755 Dr. Samuel Johnson characterized "eschew" as "almost obsolete." History has proven that the great lexicographer was wrong on that call, however. William Thackeray found "eschew" alive enough to use it almost one hundred years later in his classic novel Vanity Fair: "He has already eschewed green coats, red neckcloths, and other worldly ornaments." The word swelled in usage in English during the 19th and 20th centuries and is now common enough to be included even in small paperback dictionaries.
Synonyms
- avoid
- dodge
- duck
- elude
- escape
- evade
- finesse
- get around
- scape
- shake
- shirk
- shuffle (out of)
- shun
- weasel (out of)
Example Sentences
Sue Halpern, New York Review of Books, 29 May 2003 A fair number of academics eschew the simple title "professor" and call themselves economists, astronomers, historians, philosophers. Tracy Kidder, Home Town, 1999 When introduced to a stranger, he eschewed formalities, stuck out a gnarled right hand and responded with a chummy, "Hermann." Tim Layden, Sports Illustrated, 2 Feb. 1998 They now eschew the violence of their past. a psychologist who eschews the traditional methods of psychotherapy Hannah Gold, The New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2022 Plenty of other recipes eschew quick and easy, requiring you to put in the time, effort and/or financial investment through the purchase of special equipment, such as a snow cone maker. Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 8 June 2022 Following Google and Goldman Sachs’ RTO policies this spring, Musk’s declaration makes Tesla the latest company to eschew working from home. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 8 June 2022 Young people tend to eschew heroin, not only because of its addictive properties but also because of a skittishness about syringes, say experts in adolescent behavior. New York Times, 19 May 2022 Some northern European members of NATO, such as Norway and Iceland, eschew foreign bases on their territories, while others, like Poland and the Baltic states, enthusiastically embrace NATO deployments. Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 May 2022 Like many of their peers, Hot Water Music could eschew writing new music and tour solely on the schedule of anniversary tours supported by their extensive back catalog. Jonah Bayer, SPIN, 16 May 2022 Once Rising made the decision to eschew an interim, Guerra immediately jumped to the front of their short list. Theo Mackie, The Arizona Republic, 24 Aug. 2022 Whether artists and illustrators will succeed in compelling large corporations and media organizations to eschew the use of such software remains to be seen. Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Middle English, from Anglo-French eschiver (3rd present eschiu) of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German sciuhen to frighten off — more at shy
14th century, in the meaning defined above
eschew
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- avoid
- evade
- shun
- escape
- elude
- eliminate
- shake
- prevent
- dodge
- deflect
- scape
- shirk
- finesse
- obviate
- exclude
- preclude
- fight shy of
- shuffle (out of)
- duck
- steer clear of
- avert
- keep clear of
- weasel (out of)
- circumvent
- thwart
- stay clear of
- get around
- miss
- parry
- except
- debar
- divert
- rule out
- ban
- outsmart
- outwit
- foil
- bypass
- frustrate
- ward (off)
- outfox
- overreach
- fox
- bar
- skirt
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- seek
- accept
- pursue
- embrace
- welcome
- incur
- catch
- court
- contract
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of eschew are avoid, elude, escape, evade, and shun. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.
The meanings of avoid and eschew largely overlap; however, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.
The words elude and eschew are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.
While the synonyms escape and eschew are close in meaning, escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.
The words evade and eschew can be used in similar contexts, but evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.
Although the words shun and eschew have much in common, shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.