to turn or make go to one side
Origin of deflect
Classical Latin deflectere from de-, from + flectere, to bend
verb
Deflect is defined as to cause something to change direction, or to deter someone from his/her intended purpose.
When all the attention is focused on you and you change the subject and get people to change what they are talking about, this is an example of a time when you deflect the conversation.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"deflect." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 09 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEFLECT>.
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deflect. (n.d.). Retrieved December 09th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEFLECT
deflect
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"deflect." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 09 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEFLECT>.
APA Style
deflect. (n.d.). Retrieved December 09th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEFLECT
deflect
intr. & tr.v.
de·flect·ed, de·flect·ing, de·flectsTo turn aside or cause to turn aside; bend or deviate.
Origin of deflect
Latin dēflectere dē- de- flectere to bendRelated Forms:
- de·flect′a·ble
adjective
- de·flec′tive
adjective
- de·flec′tor
noun
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"deflect." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 09 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEFLECT>.
APA Style
deflect. (n.d.). Retrieved December 09th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEFLECT
Verb
(third-person singular simple present deflects, present participle deflecting, simple past and past participle deflected)
- To make (something) deviate from its original path.
- (intransitive) To deviate from its original path.
- (figuratively) To avoid addressing (questions, criticism, etc.).
- The Prime Minister deflected some increasingly pointed questions by claiming he had an appointment.
- (figuratively) To divert (attention, etc.).
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"deflect." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 09 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEFLECT>.
APA Style
deflect. (n.d.). Retrieved December 09th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEFLECT
Sentence Examples
- Prisms deflect rays of light towards their bases.
- The rain began, light at first, and he adjusted his helmet to deflect the droplets from blowing in his face.
- "You need more of an angle when you deflect," he told her.
- The photographer's assistant set up the mirrors to deflect the light to the right location.
- Jasmine raised her arms to deflect the dodgeball heading straight for her face.
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