Meaning & use
eschew
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Meaning
verbtransitiveformal
To stay away from something on purpose, because you disapprove of it or think it is unwise.
Grammar: Takes an object or an -ing form: eschew violence, eschew using plastic.
Patterns
- eschew something
- eschew doing something
The monks eschew luxury and live very simply.
She eschews social media to protect her time.
The chef eschews artificial flavors in all his dishes.
Word forms
| third person singular | eschews |
|---|---|
| past tense | eschewed |
| past participle | eschewed |
| -ing form | eschewing |
Common combinations
- eschew violence
- The movement eschewed violence from the start.
- eschew the use of
- They eschew the use of chemicals in the garden.
- eschew publicity
- The author eschews publicity and rarely gives interviews.
- eschew convention
- The architect eschewed convention and designed a round house.
- deliberately eschew
- The band deliberately eschewed studio polish.
Synonyms and how they differ
- avoid
- Avoid is the plain, general word, while eschew implies a principled or deliberate choice.
- shun
- Shun suggests rejecting or ignoring a person or thing with strong disapproval, which is harsher than eschew.
- forgo
- Forgo means to give up something you could have, while eschew means to stay clear of it from the start.
- abstain from
- Abstain from usually refers to choosing not to indulge in something like alcohol, and is more specific.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: eschew or chew? eschew or skew?
eschew vs chew
Chew means to bite food repeatedly. Eschew sounds like es-CHOO and means to avoid.
eschew vs skew
Skew means to twist or distort something, and is unrelated.
Practice
The minimalist designer ____ decoration, preferring clean lines and empty space.
Choose one answer.
Eschews means deliberately avoids, which fits a minimalist's choices. Embraces would mean the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eschew”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.