divert
verb /daɪˈvɜːt/
/daɪˈvɜːrt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they divert | /daɪˈvɜːt/ /daɪˈvɜːrt/ |
| he / she / it diverts | /daɪˈvɜːts/ /daɪˈvɜːrts/ |
| past simple diverted | /daɪˈvɜːtɪd/ /daɪˈvɜːrtɪd/ |
| past participle diverted | /daɪˈvɜːtɪd/ /daɪˈvɜːrtɪd/ |
| -ing form diverting | /daɪˈvɜːtɪŋ/ /daɪˈvɜːrtɪŋ/ |
- [often passive] to make somebody/something change direction
- be diverted The course of the stream has now been diverted.
- be diverted (from something) (to/into/onto something) Northbound traffic will have to be diverted onto minor roads.
- [often passive] to use money, materials, etc. for a different purpose from their original purpose
- be diverted (from something) (to/into something) More of the budget was diverted into promotions.
- to take somebody’s thoughts or attention away from something synonym distract
- divert somebody/something (away) from something The war diverted people's attention away from the economic situation.
- divert somebody/something (from something) to/onto something She managed to divert the baby onto a different activity.
- [often passive] (formal) to entertain people
- be diverted Children are easily diverted.
Word Originlate Middle English: via French from Latin divertere, from di- ‘aside’ + vertere ‘to turn’.