avert
to prevent something unpleasant from happening; or to turn away one's eyes or thoughts
Word origin: From Latin avertere, to turn away (ab- away plus vertere to turn).
Avert in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing avert in a sentence.
Quick diplomatic intervention managed to avert what could have been a catastrophic conflict.
Quick action by the engineers averted what could have been a catastrophic failure.
Using “avert” well
Avert has two senses: to prevent something bad from happening, and to turn away one's eyes or attention. On the GRE the preventive sense is the more frequently tested.
More GRE words starting with A
to lower in rank, dignity, or self-respect
to make someone feel embarrassed or ashamed
to lessen in intensity or amount
to formally give up power or responsibility
departing from what is normal or expected
a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected
a state of temporary suspension or inactivity
to regard with strong disgust or hatred
Questions about “avert”
See these words the way the GRE tests them.
Definitions in isolation do not stick. Sit a free, full-length GRE mock and meet this vocabulary inside real text completion and sentence equivalence questions, with your score and a worked solution for every answer.