What does eschewed mean?
Eschewed is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'eschew,' meaning to deliberately avoid or abstain from something, usually on principled, moral, or aesthetic grounds. To say someone eschewed wealth, publicity, or processed food implies a conscious choice rather than mere happenstance — the word carries a tone of discipline and intention that plainer verbs like 'avoided' lack. It belongs to formal and literary registers, appearing frequently in journalism, criticism, and biography: politicians eschew scandal, minimalists eschew clutter, ascetics eschew comfort. Though its spelling suggests French refinement, its ancestry is Germanic, sharing a root with the word 'shy.' For writers seeking an elegant way to signal principled renunciation, 'eschewed' remains one of English's most precise choices.
verbPast tense and past participle of 'eschew': to deliberately avoid or abstain from something, especially on principle or as a matter of taste.
- To deliberately avoid or refrain from doing or using something, typically on moral, aesthetic, or practical grounds.
"She eschewed meat entirely after years of ethical deliberation."
"The author famously eschewed social media, preferring to communicate through her books alone."
"In designing the house, the architect eschewed ornamentation in favour of clean lines and natural materials."
Despite its fancy French-sounding look, 'eschew' comes from a Germanic root — making it a cousin of the humble word 'shy.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eschewed
Eschewed derives from 'eschew,' which entered Middle English in the late medieval period from Old French 'eschiver' (modern French ' esquiver'). The French verb itself was borrowed from a Germanic source, cognate with Old High German 'sciuhen' ('to shun'), making 'eschew' a relative of English words like 'shy' and possibly connected to the same Germanic root behind 'shun' via related formations. It has carried its core sense of deliberate avoidance since it first appeared in English.
Related word forms
How eschewed is actually used
Formal to literary in register; rarely used in casual conversation. It carries a connotation of deliberate, principled avoidance rather than mere reluctance — one eschews luxury or excess, not an awkward phone call. The object may be concrete (meat, alcohol) or abstract (fame, violence, modernity).
Easily confused with eschewed
'Eschewed' means deliberately avoided, while 'askew' is an adjective describing something crooked or not level.