What does divert mean?

Definitions for divert
dɪˈvɜrt, daɪ-di·vert

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word divert.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. deviate, divertverb

    turn aside; turn away from

  2. divertverb

    send on a course or in a direction different from the planned or intended one

  3. amuse, divert, disportverb

    occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion

    "The play amused the ladies"

  4. divert, hive offverb

    withdraw (money) and move into a different location, often secretly and with dishonest intentions

Wiktionary

  1. divertverb

    To turn aside from a course.

    The workers diverted the stream away from the road.

  2. divertverb

    To distract.

    Don't let him divert your attention; keep your eye on the ball.

  3. divertverb

    To entertain or amuse (by diverting the attention)

  4. divertverb

    To turn aside; to digress.

    I diverted to see one of the prince's palaces. uE000163762uE001 Evelyn.

  5. Etymology: From diverten, from divertir, from di- + vertere; see verse.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. To DIVERTverb

    Etymology: diverto, Latin.

    I rather will subject me to the malice
    Of a diverted blood and bloody brother. William Shakespeare.

    He finds no reason to have his rent abated, because a greater part of it is diverted from his landlord. John Locke.

    They diverted raillery from improper objects, and gave a new turn to ridicule. Joseph Addison, Freeholder, №. 45.

    Nothing more is requisite for producing all the variety of colours and degrees of refrangibility, than that the rays of light be bodies of different sizes; the least of which may make violet the weakest and darkest of the colours, and be more easily diverted by refracting surfaces from the right course; and the rest, as they are bigger and bigger, make the stronger and more lucid colours, blue, green, yellow, and red, and be more and more difficultly diverted. Isaac Newton, Opt.

    The kings of England would have had an absolute conquest of Ireland, if their whole power had been employed; but still there arose sundry occasions, which divided and diverted their power some other way. John Davies, on Ireland.

    Alas, how simple, to these cates compar’d,
    Was that crude apple that diverted Eve! John Milton, Pa. Reg.

    They avoid pleasure, lest they should have their affections tainted by any sensuality, and diverted from the love of him who is to be the only comfort. Joseph Addison, on Italy.

    Maro’s muse, not wholly bent
    On what is gainful, sometimes she diverts
    From solid counsel. Phillips.

    An ingenious gentleman did divert or instruct the kingdom by his papers. Jonathan Swift.

    Frights, changes, horrours,
    Divert and crack, rend and deracinate.
    The unity and married calm of states. William Shakespeare, Troil. and Cress.

ChatGPT

  1. divert

    To divert is to cause something or someone to change course or direction. It can also mean to redirect attention, resources or focus from one thing to another. Additionally, in the context of conversation or action, it can mean to distract or take attention away from a particular subject or task.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Divertverb

    to turn aside; to turn off from any course or intended application; to deflect; as, to divert a river from its channel; to divert commerce from its usual course

  2. Divertverb

    to turn away from any occupation, business, or study; to cause to have lively and agreeable sensations; to amuse; to entertain; as, children are diverted with sports; men are diverted with works of wit and humor

  3. Divertverb

    to turn aside; to digress

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Divert

    di-vėrt′, v.t. to turn aside: to change the direction of: to turn the mind from business or study: to amuse.—n. Divert′imento (obs.), diversion: (mus.) a ballet-interlude.—adj. Divert′ing.—adv. Divert′ingly.—n. Divert′isement, diversion: a short ballet between the acts of a play.—adj. Divert′ive, tending to divert. [Fr.,—L. divertĕre, diversumdis, aside, vertĕre, to turn.]

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'divert' in Verbs Frequency: #1007

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce divert?

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of divert in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of divert in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of divert in a Sentence

  1. Asif Kapadia:

    By the end of( the interview sessions) I was asking quite tough questions, he would try to divert and go off and give you something else entirely.

  2. Ron DeSantis:

    I cannot confirm that. I can’t, if you can do it at the source and divert to sanctuary jurisdictions, the chance they end up in Florida is much less.

  3. Henri Grissino-Mayer:

    California does NOT divert water to the ocean, ridiculous. It's true that water is diverted to the coastal cities for a constant water supply but all such water is used by the coastal communities.

  4. Chuck Schumer:

    Most presidents have used (White House) Oval Office addresses for noble purposes. This president just used the backdrop of the Oval Office to manufacture a crisis, stoke fear and divert attention from the turmoil in his administration.

  5. Behnam Ben Taleblu:

    The chants by the brave, chador clad women of Najafabad in Isfahan province, which used to be a traditional bastion of regime support said it best : ‘ They fed Syria, but made our young people turn old. ’ Iranian protestors recognize that the regime in Tehran does not have their best interests at heart, and will continue to divert national treasure towards its ideological contests abroad.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

divert#10000#26034#100000

Translations for divert

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • تحويلArabic
  • отклонявам, отвличамBulgarian
  • desviarCatalan, Valencian
  • ablenken, umleiten, umlenkenGerman
  • entretener, desviar, distraerSpanish
  • harhauttaaFinnish
  • dévier, divertirFrench
  • amuzar, distraktarIdo
  • whakapeauMāori
  • отклони́ть, развле́чь, позаба́вить, отвлека́ть, отклоня́ть, отводи́ть, отвле́чь, отвести́, развлека́ть, забавля́тьRussian
  • avledaSwedish

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"divert." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 16 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/divert>.

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    an outward bevel around a door or window that makes it seem larger
    A inexpiable
    B valetudinarian
    C splay
    D usurious

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