eschew

/ɛsˈʃu/
IPA guide

Other forms: eschewed; eschewing; eschews

If you eschew something, you deliberately avoid it. If you love the hustle and bustle of a big city, then most likely you eschew the suburbs.

Eschew comes from a word meaning "dread," or "shun." So to eschew something isn’t simply to avoid it, the way you would avoid walking in a puddle — it's stronger than that. You eschew things that you find morally or aesthetically wrong, or that you have chosen to find wrong. Some people eschew processed food and sugary drinks due to health reasons and others eschew using social media during work in order to stay focused.

Definitions of eschew
  1. verb
    avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of
    synonyms: shun
    see moresee less
    type of:
    avoid
    stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
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