Word: deflect (verb)

Associations

"Deflect" means to cause something to change direction, usually to avoid it hitting or affecting you. It is often used in physical situations like sports or fighting, but also in conversations when someone avoids a question or topic.

• In sports: "The goalie deflected the ball away from the goal." Here, it means the goalie changed the ball’s direction to stop a goal.
• In conversation: "She deflected the question about her plans." This means she avoided answering directly.
• In everyday life: "The shield deflected the arrows." The shield changed the arrows' path to protect the person. A close synonym is "avoid," but "deflect" often implies actively changing direction, while "avoid" means staying away from something.

Substitution

Instead of "deflect," you can use:

• "redirect" – if you want to emphasize changing direction.
• "avoid" – if you mean to stay away from a topic or problem.
• "parry" – in a fight or argument, meaning to block or deflect. Each word changes the meaning slightly. For example, "avoid" is more about not facing something, while "deflect" means to push it away or change its path.

Deconstruction

"Deflect" comes from Latin:

• Prefix "de-" means "away" or "off."
• Root "flect" comes from "flectere," meaning "to bend." So, "deflect" literally means "to bend away." This helps you remember that deflecting means bending or turning something away from its original path.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you had to deflect a question or problem?
• How would you deflect a ball in a game? What actions would you take?
• Can deflecting be good or bad in conversations? Why?