evade

/ɪˈveɪd/

/ɪˈveɪd/

Other forms: evaded; evading; evades

When you evade something, you escape it. You could evade a police chase by slipping into a secret alley, or you could evade your mother's questions about the missing cookies by slipping into another topic.

Other things people like to evade? Death. Taxes. Creepy ex-boyfriends. The verb evade comes from Latin roots ex ("away) and vadere ("to walk"), meaning literally "to walk away or to escape." Definitely what you want to do with creepy ex-boyfriends.

Definitions of evade

1. verb

   avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
   “They tend to evade their responsibilities”

   “he evaded the questions skillfully”

   synonyms: circumvent, dodge, duck, elude, fudge, hedge, parry, put off, sidestep, skirt

   types:

   beg, beg the question

   dodge, avoid answering, or take for granted

   quibble

   evade the truth of a point or question by raising irrelevant objections

   type of:

   avoid

   stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
2. verb

   escape, either physically or mentally
   “This difficult idea seems to evade her”

   “The event evades explanation”

   synonyms: bilk, elude

   type of:

   break loose, escape, get away

   run away from confinement
3. verb

   practice evasion
   “This man always hesitates and evades”

   type of:

   act, move

   perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
4. verb

   use cunning or deceit to escape or avoid
   “The con man always evades”

   type of:

   escape, get away, get by, get off, get out

   escape potentially unpleasant consequences; get away with a forbidden action