divert

English

Etymology

From Middle English diverten, Old French divertir (“to turn or go different ways, part, separate, divert”), from Latin di- (“apart”) + vertere (“to turn”); see verse.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /daɪˈvɜːt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /daɪˈvɝt/, /dɪˈvɝt/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)t

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Verb

divert (third-person singular simple present diverts, present participle diverting, simple past and past participle diverted)

1. (transitive) To turn aside from a course.

   The workers diverted the stream away from the road.

   • 1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 99:

     Many of the remaining trains have been retimed and where possible freight trains have also been diverted to alternative routes.

2. (transitive) To distract.

   Don't let him divert your attention; keep your eye on the ball.

   • [1644], [John Milton], Of Education. To Master Samuel Hartlib, [London: […] Thomas Underhill and/or Thomas Johnson], →OCLC:

     that crude apple that diverted Eve

3. (transitive) To entertain or amuse (by diverting the attention)
   • 1871, Charles John Smith, Synonyms Discriminated:

     We are amused by a tale, diverted by a comedy.

   • 1973 December 29, Jonathan Cross, “The Fag In The Fifth Row”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 28, page 4:

     But somehow, despite wooden, unfunny dialogue, rigid characterization, and the dreadful mindless meaninglessness of it all, Good News manages to divert us for its three hours.

4. (obsolete, intransitive) To turn aside; to digress.
   • 1641 September 7 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 28 August 1641]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC:

     I diverted to see one of the prince's palaces.

Synonyms

• (to lead away from a course): offlead

Related terms

• diversion
• diversity
• diverse

Translations

turn aside

• Azerbaijani: kənara çəkmək, qırağa çəkmək, tərəfə çəkmək
• Bulgarian: отклонявам (bg) (otklonjavam)
• Catalan: desviar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 轉向／转向 (zh) (zhuǎnxiàng)

• Finnish: poiketa (fi)
• French: dévier (fr)
• German: umlenken (de), umleiten (de)
• Greek: εκτρέπω (el) (ektrépo)
• Interlingua: deviar
• Italian: deviare (it)
• Latin: diverto
• Maori: whakapeau, whakahipa
• Russian: отводи́ть (ru) impf (otvodítʹ), отвести́ (ru) pf (otvestí), отклоня́ть (ru) impf (otklonjátʹ), отклони́ть (ru) pf (otklonítʹ)
• Spanish: desviar (es), echar por el desvío

distract

• Azerbaijani: yayındırmaq
• Bulgarian: отвличам (bg) (otvličam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 轉移／转移 (zh) (zhuǎnyí)

• Finnish: harhauttaa (fi), hämätä (fi)
• German: ablenken (de)
• Greek: αποσπώ (el) (apospó)
• Ido: distraktar (io)
• Interlingua: distraher
• Italian: distrarre (it)
• Russian: отвлека́ть (ru) impf (otvlekátʹ), отвле́чь (ru) pf (otvléčʹ)
• Spanish: distraer (es), desviar (es), echar por el desvío, despistar (es)
• Swedish: avleda (sv)

entertain

• Azerbaijani: əyləndirmək
• Bulgarian: забавлявам (bg) (zabavljavam), развличам (bg) (razvličam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 遣悶／遣闷 (zh) (qiǎnmèn)

• Finnish: viihdyttää (fi)
• French: divertir (fr)
• German: unterhalten (de)
• Greek: διασκεδάζω (el) (diaskedázo)
• Ido: distraktar (io), amuzar (io)
• Interlingua: diverter,
• Italian: divertirsi (it), distrarsi (it)
• Russian: развлека́ть (ru) impf (razvlekátʹ), развле́чь (ru) pf (razvléčʹ), забавля́ть (ru) impf (zabavljátʹ), позаба́вить (ru) pf (pozabávitʹ)
• Spanish: divertir (es), entretener (es)

Further reading

• “divert”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “divert”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• verdit