averted

American  

[uh-vur-tid] / əˈvɜr tɪd /

adjective

1. turned away or aside.

   The angle of the head, the averted eyes, and the position of the mouth all serve to give up our secrets because they so easily reveal our feelings.

2. warded off; prevented.

   An averted foreign-policy disaster is often invisible, so the officers responsible often miss out on professional recognition.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of avert.

Other Word Forms

• avertedly adverb
• unaverted adjective

Etymology

Origin of averted

avert ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Los Angeles school officials announced on Sunday morning that a tentative agreement has been reached with the teachers union — making it possible that a planned Tuesday strike could be averted.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

"It is a victory in the sense that no other country in the world was able to broker the ceasefire and we were on the verge of a possible catastrophe. Pakistan averted that," says Basit.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

As with last spring’s trade war, the Barclays research team, headed up by Ajay Rajadhyaksha, believes the worst-case scenario is likely to be averted.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

San Diego on Friday averted a one-day teachers strike planned later this month over union demands for more special education staffing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

But she averted her face and answered meekly, “It is only the old pain in my vitals.”

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck