What does veering mean?
Veering describes a sudden change of direction or course. Its most literal use is physical: a vehicle, person, wind, or object veers when it turns sharply away from the path it was following. The word also has a well-established figurative use for rapid shifts in opinion, allegiance, subject, or emphasis, as when a discussion veers toward an unexpected topic or a politician veers away from a policy. In these contexts, veering often suggests instability, unpredictability, or a departure from an established course, though it does not necessarily imply wrongdoing. It is widely used in formal and informal English in both British and American varieties. Veering is related to the verb veer and belongs to a family of words rooted in the idea of turning; Latin vertere, meaning “to turn,” also lies behind convert, divert, verse, and version. The word is especially useful when the abruptness of a change matters: where turning might be neutral and changing gradual, veering marks a noticeable, often abrupt redirection.
To turn suddenly or sharply away from one's previous course or direction; to shift abruptly in opinion, topic, allegiance, or emphasis.
"The ship veered north as the wind suddenly changed direction."
The physical and figurative senses are both standard. Figurative uses often emphasize an abrupt departure from an expected course.
Turning or shifting abruptly in direction or course.
"Veering winds pushed the small boat toward the harbor entrance."
The participial adjective is especially common before words such as “wind,” “course,” “path,” and “movement.”
Veer and verse share the same Latin root, vertere, meaning “to turn”: one turns in space, while a verse turns at the end of a line.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does veering come from?
The English verb veer, from which veering is formed, was borrowed in the early modern period from French virer, “to turn.” French virer ultimately continues Latin vertere, “to turn,” the same root found in convert, divert, adverse, verse, and version. English uses the word both for a physical change of direction and for a figurative change of course, opinion, or subject.
How veering is actually used
The literal sense is common in descriptions of vehicles, people, objects, and winds. Its figurative use often suggests a sudden or unstable departure from an established direction, but it can also neutrally describe a change in topic, emphasis, or opinion.