divert

verb
UK: /daɪˈvɜːt/
US: /daɪˈvɝːt/

  1. To change the direction something is going in.

    1. We need to divert the water.
    2. The police had to divert traffic due to the accident; divert was very important.

  2. To use something for a different purpose.

    1. They divert funds to other projects.
    2. The company chose to divert its resources into developing new software, which was risky.

  3. To take someone's attention away from something.

    1. I tried to divert his attention.
    2. The magician attempted to divert the audience's focus with a flashy move, so the trick worked.

Synonyms

redirect deflect distract amuse
divert noun

  1. Something that takes your attention away from something else.

    1. This game is a good divert.
    2. The comedy show provided a welcome divert from the serious news of the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "divert" in English means: To change the direction something is going in., To use something for a different purpose., To take someone's attention away from something..

The phonetic transcription of "divert" is /daɪˈvɜːt/ in British English and /daɪˈvɝːt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "divert": redirect, deflect, distract, amuse.

Example usage of "divert": "We need to divert the water.". More examples on the page.