verb Uncommon

evade

ih-VAYD

Evade (verb) means to cleverly avoid or escape something, such as a person, question, or duty. Example: “He evaded the reporter's question with a joke.”

verb

To cleverly avoid or escape something, such as a person, question, or duty.

"He evaded the reporter's question with a joke."

"The suspect evaded police for three days."

How to use evade

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo dodge or slip away from something using cleverness rather than force.

Common mistake

Evade means to avoid through cunning; avoid is more neutral and doesn't imply trickery.

Easily confused with

avoid → invade →

Common pairings

evade taxes evade capture evade the question

Word forms

evaded past tense, evades singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “evade” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He _____ the reporter's question with a joke.

Etymology

From Latin ēvādō, "to go out or escape" — from ē- ("out of") + vādō ("to go, walk"), related to wade.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

View more →

equivocate shuffle dodge end-run sidestep give the go-by give someone the runaround

Related words

avoid duck dodge skirt bypass hedge shuffle cunning

Rhymes for evade

Ade made jade wade fade sade Bade Cade Dade trade blade spade

See all rhymes for evade →

Frequently asked questions

What does “evade” mean?

The word “evade” means to cleverly avoid or escape something, such as a person, question, or duty. In plain terms, to dodge or slip away from something using cleverness rather than force.

How do you pronounce “evade”?

“Evade” is pronounced ih-VAYD (/ɪˈveɪd/ in IPA).

How do you use “evade” in a sentence?

Here is “evade” used in a sentence: “He evaded the reporter's question with a joke.”

What is another word for “evade”?

Words with a similar meaning to “evade” include equivocate, shuffle, dodge, end-run, sidestep and give the go-by.

What part of speech is “evade”?

“Evade” is a verb.

Where does the word “evade” come from?

The word “evade” comes from Latin. From Latin ēvādō, "to go out or escape" — from ē- ("out of") + vādō ("to go, walk"), related to wade.

Is “evade” a common word?

“Evade” is an uncommon word in modern English.

People also searched

avoid duck dodge skirt bypass hedge shuffle cunning