Divert
/daɪˈvɜrt/
verbB2
Definition
Divert means to cause something or someone to go in a different direction than before. It can also mean to make someone stop thinking about something boring or unpleasant by giving them something more interesting or fun to focus on.
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⚡ See It in Action
To change the direction of something (like traffic, water, or attention)
- •The police diverted traffic because of the accident.
- •The river was diverted to prevent flooding.
- •She diverted the conversation to a happier topic.
To take someone's attention away from something
- •The clown's jokes diverted the children's attention from their hunger.
- •He tried to divert his mind from the bad news by reading a book.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'divert' like 'turn' (A1 word), but not just a small turn—it's a planned change to go somewhere else or do something else
- ✓Picture a river that normally flows straight, but a barrier makes the water flow around it in a new path
- ✓It's the feeling when you watch a funny video to forget your worries for a while
- ✓Sounds like 'die-VERT' → imagine a bird 'diving' suddenly to a new place to avoid danger
- ✓Think of a traffic officer who directs cars to another road when there is a problem ahead
- ✓NOT like 'stop' (which ends an action), 'divert' changes the action to a new direction or focus
- ✓NOT like 'ignore' (which means not paying attention), 'divert' means changing attention to something else
- ✓NOT like 'delay' (which means making something late), 'divert' means moving attention or direction, not time
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Redirect: to send something or someone to a different place or direction (Use when focusing on sending something again to a new target)
- •Distract: to take someone's attention away from something (Use when focusing on attention or focus, especially for people)
- •Reroute: to change the path or route of something, often traffic or travel (Use for physical paths or travel routes)
- •Deflect: to cause something to change direction, often suddenly (Use when something is pushed or bounces off in a new direction)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Prefix: 'di-' (from Latin, meaning 'apart' or 'different')
- •Root: 'vert' (from Latin 'vertere,' meaning 'to turn')
- •Etymology: From Latin 'divertere,' meaning to turn aside or change direction
- •Historical development: Entered English in the late 1400s, originally meaning to turn away or change course
- •Modern usage: Used both for physical changes in direction and for changing attention or focus
💭 Reflect & Connect
•Can diverting attention be helpful or harmful? When might it be good to divert someone's focus?
•How do you feel when your plans are diverted to something unexpected? Does it depend on the situation?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The police had to divert traffic ___ the main road because of the accident ahead.
2.She tried to divert the conversation ___ a more positive subject during the meeting.
3.When the children became restless, the teacher diverted their attention ___ a fun game.
4.Unlike stopping the event, they decided to divert it ___ a different location.
5.The company diverted resources ___ the new project to finish it faster.
6.He used jokes to divert his friends' minds ___ their worries.
7.The river was diverted ___ a new channel to avoid flooding the village.