avert
To turn away, or to stop something bad from happening.
avert in a sentence
- The goalkeeper made a stunning save to avert disaster in the final minute.
- Quick thinking helped the driver avert an accident when a sheep wandered onto the lane.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to avert?
- Ainvite
- Bprevent
- Callow
- Dcause
Show the answer
B: prevent. The other three mean the opposite of avert.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to avert?
- Aprevent
- Bavoid
- Cstop
- Dallow
Show the answer
D: allow. The other three mean nearly the same as avert.
Words that mean something similar
prevent, avoid, stop
Words that mean the opposite
allow, cause, invite
More words about movement & action
- banish: To send someone away and forbid them from coming back.
- beckon: To wave or signal to someone to come closer.
- billow: To swell and roll like waves, especially smoke or cloth.
- bolster: To support something and make it stronger.
- brandish: To wave something around in an excited or threatening way.
- brisk: Quick and full of energy.
- buoyant: Able to float, or feeling light and cheerful.
- capsize: To tip over in the water.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test