What does “eschew” mean?

eschew


Oh, this is a good one —

"Eschew" means to deliberately avoid something or stay away from it, usually because you don't like it or think it's bad for you.

So like, if your friend says "I eschew junk food," they mean they really try to avoid it on purpose — it's almost like a personal rule they follow. Or you might hear something like "She eschews drama and just stays quiet" — meaning she actively avoids getting into messy situations.

It's a little formal and old-fashioned, so you probably won't hear it much in everyday conversation, but you'll definitely see it in writing. Someone might write "He eschewed fame and lived a quiet life in the countryside."

Basically, it just means to choose to stay away from something.

Related words

The dictionary you'll enjoy reading.

What is Hey Dictionary?

Hey Dictionary explains words, slang, and idioms the way a native friend would — casual, with real examples — instead of a stiff, formal definition. Type a word and read it like a text from a friend.

Benefits of using Hey

  • deeper & more nuanced understanding of the word
  • greatly increase comprehensible input
  • learn natural spoken language
  • make language learning more fun

Who is Hey for?

  • Casual language learners (travel, making friends, cultural exchange)
  • People who prioritize verbal over written expression
  • People tired of ordinary, boring dictionaries

How to use Hey (effectively)?

  1. 1.Enter a word or short phrase you want to learn
  2. 2.Read the explanation in the target language
  3. 3.Highlight words to check their pronunciation

FAQ

Yes. The main lookup feature is free and needs no login.