eschew
Americanverb (used with object)
-
eschews,
present (3rd person singular)
-
eschewed,
past participle, past
-
eschewing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
eschewsimple
-
eschewssimple
-
have eschewedperfect
-
has eschewedperfect
-
am eschewingprogressive
-
are eschewingprogressive
-
is eschewingprogressive
-
have been eschewingperfect progressive
-
has been eschewingperfect progressive
Past
-
eschewedsimple
-
had eschewedperfect
-
was eschewingprogressive
-
were eschewingprogressive
-
had been eschewingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of eschew
1300–50; Middle English eschewen < Old French eschiver, eschever < Germanic; compare Old High German sciuhen, German scheuchen, shy 2
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing eschew
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
From Ossoff, he learned how to braid in being an intellectual and polished orator, how debate-club tactics can work as long as you eschew the tie and show an inch of clavicle.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
She explores why so many people eschew these products and discusses how to tell whether they make sense for you.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
Executives at Australian tech companies, including Nasdaq-listed Atlassian and privately owned Canva, have attributed their decision to eschew the ASX to what they see as unreasonably low valuations on offer locally.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
That decision to eschew the approach led to the departure of Michael Edwards last month - the former Liverpool sporting director had been rehired by FSG in order to lead the multi-club project.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
I was uninjured, and since pride is a Deadly Sin which I feel I generally eschew, absolutely nothing was hurt.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
He has repeatedly said he wants to continue in his role for decades and has created an informal organizational structure around him that eschews a conventional hierarchy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
Laura Miller makes the case that Edgar Allan Poe—whose work deliberately eschews many of the essential themes of American literature—is actually the most influential American writer of them all.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026
Moonshot eschews titles and hierarchy, a relatively unusual practice at a Chinese company and one Yang sees as essential to get rid of red tape.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Released by independent Angel Studios, known as a faith-based operation that eschews traditional Hollywood approaches, the film features stars Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis and Mary-Louise Parker and showcases William Franklyn-Mille as Washington.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
I mean the fine healthiness of mind which eschews by instinct whatever is 'common or unclean'.
From The Transgression of Andrew Vane a novel by Guy Wetmore Carryl
His Starfleet captain eschewed Captain Kirk’s swagger, though that didn’t mean he was all business.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
Wolf, 66 years old, eschewed client work for years once he took over running the firm in 2010.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Speaking about "my dot," Altman almost entirely eschewed referring to the tool as an agent, which has been in common use for years.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
SpaceX has eschewed the traditional IPO range, opting for a fixed $135 price, and it has allocated more stock than usual to Musk’s army of retail investors.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
He eschewed slick “creative” messages for a seemingly cheesy “Gold Box” treasure hunt.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
They need to socialize a language of accountability that promotes rule of law, democracy, and due process while eschewing talk of retribution, retaliation, or political payback.
From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2026
Anthropic has decided to keep its Claude chatbot ad-free, eschewing what has become a cash cow for OpenAI and other Big Tech companies.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
Droll and thoughtful, “Wonder Man” is Marvel’s most grounded offering yet, largely eschewing spectacle to focus on the insecurities of a guy who fears he’ll never get his big break.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The company plans to sell shares at $135 apiece, eschewing the norm of setting a price range and incorporating investor feedback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
“The Order is eschewing any form of transport that is controlled or regulated by the Ministry; they mistrust everything to do with the place.”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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