turn away

See also: turnaway

English

Verb

turn away (third-person singular simple present turns away, present participle turning away, simple past and past participle turned away)

1. (transitive, literally) To rotate so as not to face someone or something.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     Thereat the Elfe did blush in priuitee, / And turnd his face away; but she the same / Dissembled faire, and faynd to ouersee.

2. (intransitive, literally) To rotate oneself so as not to face someone or something.
3. (transitive, literally) To bend or turn from a fixed course.
4. (intransitive, literally) To bend or turn from a fixed course.
   • 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     He met Luis Suarez's cross at the far post, only for Chelsea keeper Petr Cech to show brilliant reflexes to deflect his header on to the bar. Carroll turned away to lead Liverpool's insistent protests that the ball had crossed the line but referee Phil Dowd and assistant referee Andrew Garratt waved play on, with even a succession of replays proving inconclusive.

5. (transitive, figuratively) To refuse to admit someone or accept something.

   Synonym: turn back

   Coordinate term: kick out

   He was turned away at the border because he didn't have a valid visa.

   The referee turned away the players' protests.

   • c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 100:

     For heauen doth know (ſo ſhall the world perceiue)
     That I haue turn'd away my former Selfe,
     So will I thoſe that kept me Companie.

6. (transitive, figuratively) To avert or ward off the occurrence or effects of.

   to turn away disaster

7. (transitive, dated) To dismiss from service.

   to turn away a servant

8. (intransitive, figuratively) To forsake or refuse an association or commitment.

   Synonym: turn one's back

   He turned away from his old comrades.

   She increasingly turned away from politics.

   Some people donate what they can, while others simply turn away.

Derived terms

• turnaway (noun)

Translations

(transitive) to rotate so as not to face someone or something

• Russian: отвора́чивать (ru) impf (otvoráčivatʹ), отверну́ть (ru) pf (otvernútʹ)
• Ukrainian: відверта́ти impf (vidvertáty), відверну́ти pf (vidvernúty)

(intransitive) to rotate oneself so as not to face someone or something

• Czech: odvrátit se
• Finnish: kääntyä (fi)
• French: se détourner (fr)
• German: sich abwenden
• Polish: odwracać się (pl)
• Russian: отвора́чиваться (ru) impf (otvoráčivatʹsja), отверну́ться (ru) pf (otvernútʹsja)
• Ukrainian: відверта́тися impf (vidvertátysja), відверну́тися pf (vidvernútysja), відхиля́тися impf (vidxyljátysja), відхили́тися pf (vidxylýtysja)

(transitive) to bend or turn from a fixed course

• Finnish: kääntää (fi)
• French: détourner (fr)
• Ukrainian: відхиля́ти impf (vidxyljáty), відхили́ти pf (vidxylýty)

(intransitive) to bend or turn from a fixed course

• French: se détourner (fr)
• Ukrainian: відхиля́тися impf (vidxyljátysja), відхили́тися pf (vidxylýtysja)

to refuse to admit someone or accept something

• Finnish: käännyttää (fi)

to avert or ward off the occurrence or effects of

• Finnish: estää (fi), käännyttää (fi)

to dismiss from service

• Finnish: erottaa (fi)

to forsake or refuse an association or commitment

• Ukrainian: відверта́тися impf (vidvertátysja), відверну́тися pf (vidvernútysja), відхиля́тися impf (vidxyljátysja), відхили́тися pf (vidxylýtysja)