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
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: April 1 - 6, 2018
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
But we should eschew the temptation to treat Kirkmeyer like a reasonable person.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026
Beijing is often thought to eschew rash decision-making and prioritise patience and gradual gains to secure long-term outcomes.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
One of the latest entrants is Slate Auto, a startup that plans to offer a compact electric truck that eschew tech extras as much as possible—even lacking a stereo and power windows—for about $25,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
To be sure, reducing reliance on U.S. debt doesn’t mean one can eschew U.S. assets completely.
From Barron's ● Jan. 21, 2026
It was never wise for a ruler to eschew the trappings of power, for power itself flows in no small measure from such trappings.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Farrell eschews owning data centers, preferring AI-adjacent exposure through power generation, reasoning that markets underappreciate data centers’ high risk for technology obsolescence.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
But the bigger lie is Shirley presenting himself as a “journalist,” when he eschews basic responsibility to the facts.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Richards, a certified financial planner by day whose “Sketch Guy” column ran in the New York Times for 10 years, now even eschews numbers in his drawings.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 16, 2026
At the forefront is “Pillion,” a provocatively daring film that eschews shock value for real emotion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026
Consequently he eschews the difficult verse forms then coming into fashion, "ryme cowee," "straungere," or "enterlace."
From Early Theories of Translation by Flora Ross Amos
When Phoebe Novack and Brian Aggrey married in 2023, they eschewed a traditional registry for household luxuries or a modern honeymoon fund.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
In response, Netflix has made changes Hastings once eschewed, such as adding an advertising-based tier to the service.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 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
“Plan 75” eschewed dystopian-thriller conventions to ponder how Japan might one day treat its senior citizens, viewing them as little more than a drain on resources.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
They had been hearing isolated reports from the radio and others who had stayed in the city, and they were all relieved they had eschewed shelter there; they had known it would turn out poorly.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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
Some drivers are squeezing more miles out of their vehicles and eschewing new rides because of sticker shock, high interest rates and economic jitters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
“I sat in a small office, eschewing the grand corner-office privilege of previous Chairmen.”
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
They are seeking “cheap thrills,” the survey found, and eschewing more expensive purchases.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
Not completely eschewing the values he was taught at 26 Markt.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
