What does eschewing mean?
Eschewing is the present participle and gerund of the verb "eschew," which means to deliberately avoid or abstain from something considered undesirable, improper, or harmful. The word belongs to formal register and appears most often in writing: profiles describe public figures eschewing publicity, health writers discuss people eschewing meat or alcohol, and critics praise films for eschewing special effects. What distinguishes eschewing from simple avoidance is its implication of conscious, principled choice — one does not accidentally eschew something but rather makes a sustained decision to do without it, whether for moral, aesthetic, or practical reasons. The verb entered Middle English from Old French eschiver, tracing back through Frankish to a Germanic root associated with fear or avoidance, making it a distant relative of the adjective "shy." Its noun form is "eschewal." For writers seeking a dignified, precise way to express deliberate renunciation, few words serve as elegantly.
verbEschewing is the present participle and gerund of "eschew": deliberately avoiding or abstaining from something regarded as undesirable, improper, or harmful.
- Deliberately and habitually keeping away from or refraining from something, especially on moral, practical, or principled grounds.
"Living frugally by choice, she was known for eschewing luxury of every kind."
"A committed minimalist, he spent years eschewing possessions that did not serve a clear purpose."
"The candidate won admirers by eschewing negative advertising altogether."
Despite its tempting "chew," eschewing has nothing to do with eating — it comes from a Germanic root meaning to dread or avoid, making it a distant cousin of the word "shy."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eschewing
Eschewing is the present participle of "eschew," which came into Middle English from Old French eschiver (also appearing as esquiver). The Old French verb derives from Frankish, a Germanic language, built on a root related to fear or dread — the same Germanic source that gave us the English adjective "shy." The word has carried its sense of deliberate avoidance since it entered English in the medieval period.
Related word forms
How eschewing is actually used
Formal in register; common in written English, journalism, and literary prose rather than everyday speech. It carries a connotation of principled self-restraint rather than mere avoidance, often implying a conscious choice made on ethical, aesthetic, or practical grounds.
Easily confused with eschewing
"Escheat" is a legal term for property reverting to the state when an owner dies without heirs, whereas "eschewing" simply means deliberately avoiding something.