avoidance

avoidance — noun

1. the action of staying away from a person, place, or activity, or making sure tha

1.名詞B2
釋義

the action of staying away from a person, place, or activity, or making sure that something does not take place.

例句

Esme's avoidance of her noisy neighbour made her take the long route home each evening.

avoidance of + person

Careful avoidance of sugar helped Rohan lose ten kilos in six months.

avoidance of + concrete noun

同義詞
  • evasion

    stronger; suggests dodging a duty or responsibility, often dishonestly

  • prevention

    stopping something bad before it starts; less about staying away

  • shunning

    deliberate social rejection of a person or group

反義詞

文法句型

avoidance of + noun

用法筆記

Almost always followed by 'of' + noun phrase. Common in formal contexts (legal, medical, policy) more than in everyday speech, where 'avoiding' as a verb is preferred.

常見錯誤

❌She has an avoidance to spiders.
✅She has an avoidance of spiders.
💡use 'of', not 'to' or 'for', after avoidance.
❌He practised avoidance the meeting.
✅He practised avoidance of the meeting.
💡the preposition 'of' is required before the noun.

2. a pattern of behaviour where a person regularly keeps clear of certain situation

2.名詞C1
釋義

a pattern of behaviour where a person regularly keeps clear of certain situations, feelings, or people because they expect those things to bring them stress, fear, or pain.

例句

Dr. Olu explained that avoidance is a common response to past trauma.

avoidance as psychological coping pattern

Therapists often treat anxiety by gently breaking the patient's pattern of avoidance.

pattern of avoidance

同義詞
  • denial

    refusing to accept reality; avoidance refuses to engage with it

  • withdrawal

    pulling back from people or activity; broader and often emotional

  • escapism

    seeking distraction in fantasy or pleasure to flee real problems

反義詞
  • approach

    in psychology, the opposite coping style: facing what scares you

  • acceptance

    acknowledging difficult feelings rather than turning away

文法句型

avoidance + noun (behaviour, coping, strategy)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names a habitual coping style or psychological response, not a single act. Common in clinical and therapy contexts, often in compounds like 'avoidance behaviour', 'avoidance strategy', or 'experiential avoidance'.

常見錯誤

❌He showed an avoidance yesterday.
✅He showed avoidance behaviour yesterday.
💡this sense is uncountable and often needs a modifier noun like 'behaviour'.