Deflect Meaning
/dɪˈflɛkt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo make (something) deviate from its original path or position.
verbTo touch the ball, often unwittingly, after a shot or a sharp pass, thereby making it unpredictable for the other players.
Sentence Examples
Philippine motorcycle riders wear masks to deflect vehicular exhausts in heavy traffic.
Yanni wanted to deflect attention.
Deflect any question related to your personal life.
CEFR Practice Quiz
A mirror can ____ light beams away from the target.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Philippine motorcycle riders wear masks to ____ vehicular exhausts in heavy traffic.
Word Origin & History
From Latin deflecto, from de- (“away”) + flecto (“to bend”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Certainly there was much in the relationship itself that, with so much energy deflected into logistic maneuvering was never […] "worked out.""
— 1979 December 29, Rudy Kikel, “Young Men”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 23, page 16:
"Critics suggest that Fernández, an unashamed populist and nationalist, is seeking to deflect attention from social disharmony at home."
— 2013 January 3, Luke Harding, Uki Goni, “Argentina urges UK to hand back Falklands and 'end colonialism”, in The Guardian:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
A mirror can ____ light beams away from the target.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Philippine motorcycle riders wear masks to ____ vehicular exhausts in heavy traffic.