To avoid means to stay away from something or to keep something from happening. When you avoid a puddle, you step around it so you don't get your shoes wet. When you avoid eating too much candy before dinner, you're choosing not to do something that might cause problems later.

People avoid things for different reasons. You might avoid a bully by taking a different hallway at school. A driver avoids an accident by braking carefully. A hiker avoids getting lost by staying on the marked trail. Sometimes avoiding something takes effort and planning: a student who avoids procrastination finishes homework early instead of waiting until the last minute.

The word can also describe dodging responsibility or difficult conversations. If someone avoids answering a question, they dance around it without giving a real response. When a person avoids their chores, they find excuses not to do them.

Something avoidable could have been prevented with better choices or attention. A narrowly avoided disaster means you came very close to trouble but managed to escape it just in time. Learning what to avoid and when to face things directly is an important part of growing up.