ward off

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ward off

She uses a spray to ward off mosquitoes.

Definition
  1. Verb (transitive):
    • To prevent something bad or unwanted from happening or from reaching you; to avert. This is the core meaning, focusing on taking action to stop a negative event, threat, or influence.
    • To keep someone or something at a distance; to repel. This meaning emphasizes the physical or figurative act of pushing away an immediate danger or unwelcome advance.
Examples of Usage
  • Verb:
    • She took vitamin C to ward off a cold. (She aimed to prevent herself from catching a cold.)
    • The security guard raised his arm to ward off the attacker. (He acted to repel or block the attacker's advance.)
    • The company increased prices to ward off a potential takeover. (They took action to prevent the unwanted event of a takeover.)
    • He carried a charm to ward off evil spirits. (He used it to keep the spirits away.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to ward off" + [noun phrase]: The structure is almost always followed directly by the object representing the threat or unwanted thing.
    • The policy is designed to ward off economic instability.
  • The object is typically an abstract concept (danger, boredom, criticism) or a tangible threat (blow, animal, person).
Variants and Related Words
  • Ward (verb): A less common verb on its own, meaning to guard or protect, often used in the phrase "ward off." It also appears in contexts like hospitals ("the children's ward").
  • Avert (verb): To turn away or prevent. Often used interchangeably with "ward off" for abstract threats (avert a crisis, avert disaster).
  • Fend off (phrasal verb): Very similar to "ward off," especially in the sense of physically defending against an attack. ()
Synonyms
  • Prevent: To stop something from happening.
  • Avert: To turn away or prevent (something bad).
  • Repel: To drive or force back.
  • Stave off: To delay or hold off (something bad), often temporarily.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Head off: To intercept and stop something from progressing. It often implies taking early action to prevent a problem.
    • They held a meeting to head off a conflict within the team. (They aimed to prevent the conflict from developing.)
Related Idioms
  • Keep at bay: To prevent something dangerous or unpleasant from coming too close or happening.
    • The antibiotics kept the infection at bay. (This is similar to "ward off the infection.")
ward off

She uses a spray to ward off mosquitoes.

Verb
  1. avert, turn away, or repel
    • Ward off danger
  2. prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening
    • Let's avoid a confrontation
    • head off a confrontation
    • avert a strike