eschew
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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eschewsimple
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eschewssimple
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have eschewedperfect
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has eschewedperfect
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am eschewingprogressive
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are eschewingprogressive
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is eschewingprogressive
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have been eschewingperfect progressive
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has been eschewingperfect progressive
Past
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eschewedsimple
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had eschewedperfect
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was eschewingprogressive
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were eschewingprogressive
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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:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to eschew suits for military-style clothing is driven by his desire to show solidarity for soldiers fighting the Russians.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Like other Chinese chatbots, DeepSeek's AI tools eschew topics usually censored in the world's second-largest economy, such as the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.
From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026
In their day, Dylan and The Beatles challenged each other not only to eschew taking their own inherent greatness for granted, but to accept the risks that being a true artist demands.
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2026
While Europe’s reaction to Russia’s accusations was muted, Russia’s allies China and India urged Moscow to eschew intensifying the war and called for the continuation of negotiations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
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
The cover of “Communion” eschews the grandeur of a Catholic cathedral, in favor of a photograph of a humble Methodist chapel in a rural part of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
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
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
“I understand the science of Phonography, and I am a correspondent of a Phonographic journal, but the journal eschews politics.”
From The Iron Furnace Slavery and Secession by Aughey, John H.
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
He eschewed the trappings of wealth — driving an eight-year-old Honda — motivated instead by a “desire to compete, excel and keep struggling to do better.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
Doris Fisher eschewed the spotlight, but as co-founder of the Gap, she shaped the way a generation of Americans dressed and laid the foundation for the company to become an apparel behemoth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
He had always eschewed the mystical side of alchemy and focused on pure science.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Some humanoid makers have nullified the issue by eschewing legs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 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
Many were on what he calls the "poppier" side, eschewing the foot-stomping, banjo-forward sound of Stick Season.
From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026
Spaulding represented a new kind of Southern black businessman, eschewing the servile role whites demanded of blacks.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
