Evade vs. Avoid: What's the Difference?
By Aimie Carlson & Janet White || Updated on May 21, 2024
Evade means to escape or dodge something with cleverness, while avoid means to stay away from something intentionally or prevent it from happening.
Key Differences
Evade involves using skill or cleverness to escape from a situation or avoid detection. It often implies a degree of cunning or stealth. For example, a person might evade a pursuer by taking unexpected turns or hiding. Avoid, on the other hand, means to stay away from something or prevent it from happening through intentional action. It does not necessarily imply cleverness but rather a deliberate choice. For instance, a person might avoid a conflict by not engaging in a heated discussion or avoid traffic by taking an alternate route.
Evade is often used in contexts where there is an element of pursuit or challenge, whereas avoid is used in a broader range of contexts, including both proactive and preventive measures. For example, evading the police suggests an active chase, while avoiding the police suggests staying away from areas where police are present.
In terms of usage, evade is more likely to be used in situations involving action and effort to escape, while avoid is used in situations involving simple decisions or actions to not encounter something. Evade carries a connotation of agility and quick thinking, whereas avoid can be as simple as making a different choice.
Evading can sometimes have a negative connotation, implying deceit or dishonesty, such as evading responsibilities or questions. Avoiding, on the other hand, can be seen as a wise or cautious action, like avoiding danger or unhealthy foods.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Escape or dodge with cleverness
Stay away from intentionally
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Implication
Cunning, stealth, or agility
Deliberate choice
Context
Active pursuit or challenge
Proactive or preventive measure
Connotation
Sometimes negative (deceitful)
Generally neutral or positive
Example Usage
Evading taxes, evading a pursuer
Avoiding conflict, avoiding traffic
Evade and Avoid Definitions
Evade
To avoid dealing with something directly.
He tried to evade his responsibilities at work.
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Avoid
To keep away from or stop oneself from doing something.
She avoids eating junk food.
Evade
To avoid giving a direct answer.
Politicians often evade tough questions.
Avoid
To stay clear of.
He avoids conflict whenever possible.
Evade
To escape or elude by cunning or dexterity.
He managed to evade the security guards.
Avoid
To refrain from.
He tries to avoid speaking in public.
Evade
To avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing.
She evaded the question by changing the subject.
Avoid
To stay clear of; go around or away from
Swerve to avoid a pothole.
Evade
To escape or avoid, especially by cleverness or deceit
Managed to evade their pursuers.
Went underground in order to evade arrest.
Avoid
To take measures so as not to meet or see (someone)
"He never let go of the idea that she lived out there in order to avoid him" (Elizabeth Benedict).
Evade
To avoid complying with or fulfilling
Evade the draft.
Evaded any legal responsibility.
Avoid
To prevent from happening
You can avoid illness with exercise and a balanced diet.
Evade
To fail to make payment of (taxes).
Avoid
To refrain from using, engaging in, or partaking of
Avoid red meat.
Avoid risky behavior.
Evade
To avoid giving a direct answer to
Talked at length but evaded the interviewer's question.
Avoid
To refrain from (doing something)
It was all we could do to avoid laughing at the remark.
Evade
To be beyond the memory or understanding of
The point of the article evades me.
Avoid
(Law) To annul or make void; invalidate.
Evade
To use cleverness or deceit in avoiding or escaping something.
Avoid
(Obsolete) To void or expel.
Evade
To avoid complying with or fulfilling a requirement.
Avoid
(transitive) To try not to meet or communicate with (a person); to shun
Evade
(transitive) To get away from by cunning; to avoid by using dexterity, subterfuge, address, or ingenuity; to cleverly escape from
He evaded his opponent's blows.
The robbers evaded the police.
To evade the force of an argument
Avoid
(transitive) To stay out of the way of (something harmful).
I avoided the slap easily.
One town was flooded from the storm, while the other town avoided the storm.
Evade
(transitive) To escape; to slip away; — sometimes with from.
Avoid
To keep away from; to keep clear of; to stay away from
I try to avoid the company of gamblers.
Evade
(intransitive) To attempt to escape; to practice artifice or sophistry, for the purpose of eluding.
Avoid
To try not to do something or to have something happen
Evade
To get away from by artifice; to avoid by dexterity, subterfuge, address, or ingenuity; to elude; to escape from cleverly; as, to evade a blow, a pursuer, a punishment; to evade the force of an argument.
The heathen had a method, more truly their own, of evading the Christian miracles.
Avoid
To make empty; to clear.
Evade
To escape; to slip away; - sometimes with from.
Unarmed they mightHave easily, as spirits evaded swiftBy quick contraction or remove.
Avoid
To make void, to annul; to refute (especially a contract).
Evade
To attempt to escape; to practice artifice or sophistry, for the purpose of eluding.
The ministers of God are not to evade and take refuge any of these . . . ways.
Avoid
To defeat or evade; to invalidate.
Evade
Avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues);
He dodged the issue
She skirted the problem
They tend to evade their responsibilities
He evaded the questions skillfully
Avoid
To emit or throw out; to void.
Evade
Escape, either physically or mentally;
The thief eluded the police
This difficult idea seems to evade her
The event evades explanation
Avoid
To leave, evacuate; to leave as empty, to withdraw or come away from.
Evade
Practice evasion;
This man always hesitates and evades
Avoid
To get rid of.
Evade
Use cleverness or deceit to escape or avoid;
The con mane always evades
Avoid
To retire; to withdraw, depart, go away.
Evade
To elude or escape from a pursuer.
The thief evaded capture by hiding in the alley.
Avoid
To become void or vacant.
Avoid
To empty.
Avoid
To emit or throw out; to void; as, to avoid excretions.
Avoid
To quit or evacuate; to withdraw from.
Six of us only stayed, and the rest avoidedthe room.
Avoid
To make void; to annul or vacate; to refute.
How can these grants of the king's be avoided?
Avoid
To keep away from; to keep clear of; to endeavor no to meet; to shun; to abstain from; as, to avoid the company of gamesters.
What need a man forestall his date of grief.And run to meet what he would most avoid ?
He carefully avoided every act which could goad them into open hostility.
Avoid
To get rid of.
Avoid
To defeat or evade; to invalidate. Thus, in a replication, the plaintiff may deny the defendant's plea, or confess it, and avoid it by stating new matter.
No man can pray from his heart to be kept from temptation, if the take no care of himself to avoid it.
So Chanticleer, who never saw a fox,Yet shunned him as a sailor shuns the rocks.
Avoid
To retire; to withdraw.
David avoided out of his presence.
Avoid
To become void or vacant.
Avoid
Stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something;
Her former friends now avoid her
Avoid
Prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening;
Let's avoid a confrontation
Head off a confrontation
Avert a strike
Avoid
Refrain from doing something;
She refrains from calling her therapist too often
He should avoid publishing his wife's memoires
Avoid
Refrain from certain foods or beverages;
I keep off drugs
During Ramadan, Muslims avoid tobacco during the day
Avoid
Declare invalid;
The contract was annulled
Void a plea
Avoid
To prevent something from happening.
We should avoid making the same mistake again.
Avoid
To shun or keep away from a place or person.
They avoid the busy downtown area.
FAQs
What does evade mean?
Evade means to escape or dodge something with cleverness or skill.
Can avoiding be unintentional?
Avoiding is typically intentional, though it can also refer to naturally staying away from something.
What does avoid mean?
Avoid means to stay away from something intentionally or prevent it from happening.
Is evading always intentional?
Yes, evading usually involves a deliberate effort to escape or hide.
Does evade imply deceit?
Evade can imply deceit or dishonesty, such as evading taxes.
Is avoid generally seen as negative?
Avoid is generally neutral or positive, such as avoiding danger.
Is avoid used in everyday language?
Yes, avoid is commonly used in everyday language.
Can you avoid responsibilities?
Yes, avoiding responsibilities means intentionally staying away from them.
Can you evade responsibilities?
Yes, evading responsibilities means trying to escape them.
Is avoiding more about prevention?
Yes, avoiding is often about prevention or staying away.
Does evading require skill?
Evading often implies the use of skill or cleverness.
Is avoiding always deliberate?
Yes, avoiding usually involves a deliberate choice.
Does evading suggest a pursuit?
Yes, evading often suggests being pursued.
Can evade be used in legal contexts?
Yes, evade is often used in legal contexts, such as evading arrest.
Can avoiding something be a safety measure?
Yes, like avoiding dangerous areas.
Can avoid imply caution?
Yes, avoiding can imply a cautious approach.
Can avoid be used in health contexts?
Yes, such as avoiding unhealthy foods.
Is evading taxes illegal?
Yes, evading taxes is illegal.
Does evade have a strategic connotation?
Yes, evading can involve strategic thinking.
Is evading an active process?
Yes, evading often involves active efforts to escape.
About Author
Written by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
Co-written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
