éviter

Senses

1. 1.

   to avoid (something)

   to stay away from or refrain from something intentionally

2. 2.

   to dodge; to escape

   to elude or get out of the way of someone or something

3. 3.

   to spare (someone) from

   to prevent someone from having to experience something unpleasant

Examples

• "J'essaie d'éviter les sucres pour ma santé."

  I'm trying to avoid sugar for my health.

• "Il a évité le piège in extremis."

  He narrowly escaped the trap.

• "Cela lui aurait évité bien des ennuis."

  That would have spared him a lot of trouble.

Usage

Common transitive verb, takes a direct object (noun, gerund, or infinitive). Frequently used in everyday French with expressions like "éviter de faire quelque chose" (to avoid doing something). Register: neutral to informal.