afastar

Senses

1. 1.

   to move away, to distance

   to cause physical or spatial separation between things or people

2. 2.

   to remove, to dismiss

   to remove someone from a position or function

3. 3.

   to ward off, to keep away

   to prevent something undesirable from approaching or happening

4. 4.

   to withdraw, to distance oneself

   reflexive: to move oneself away physically or emotionally

Examples

• "O médico afastou o paciente do trabalho por duas semanas."

  The doctor removed the patient from work for two weeks.

• "Ela se afastou dos amigos depois do divórcio."

  She distanced herself from friends after the divorce.

• "Precisamos afastar essa ideia negativa da nossa mente."

  We need to ward off this negative idea from our minds.

Usage

Very common verb in both literal (physical) and figurative (emotional, professional) contexts. Often used reflexively (afastar-se) to mean "to distance oneself" or "to step away." Common collocations include "afastar-se de" (to distance oneself from) and "afastar do trabalho/cargo" (to remove from work/position).