Definition of deflect - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
motionmake something change direction
- The shield can deflect arrows.
2.
ball gamestouch the ball to change its path
- He deflected the ball into the net.
3.
distractiondivert attention from something
- He deflected attention away from the scandal.
4.
communicationavoid addressing questions or criticism
- She tried to deflect the criticism with a joke.
Origin of deflect
Latin, deflectere (to bend away)
Terms with deflect included in their meaning
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protective gear
protective clothing designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks
deflection
hit a surface and deflect away
deflecting responsibility
used to deflect responsibility for a hurtful remark
deflection
mention race to deflect criticism
deflect blame
deflects blame by including everyone
criticism
highlight sexism to deflect criticism
physics
deflect radiation or particles
deflection
childish way to deflect insults
defense
defensive action to deflect an attack
sports
intentionally deflect a volleyball off a blocker
sports
deflect an opposing player in polo
architecture
molding on a building to deflect rainwater
maritime
deflect air into the back of a sail
sport
a defensive move in fencing to block or deflect a blade
drilling
tool used in drilling to deflect the drill bit
Examples of deflect in a sentence
The goalie managed to deflect the ball. The defender deflected the ball out of bounds. She managed to deflect the ball away from the goal. She deflected questions about her private life. The politician deflected criticism by highlighting his achievements. He deflected the question by changing the subject.
Politicians often deflect tough questions during interviews.
View all translations of deflect
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:dévier, distraire, ...
- German:ablenken, abfälschen, ...
- Italian:deviare, distogliere, ...
- Spanish:desviar, deflectar, ...
- Portuguese:desviar, distrair, ...
- Chinese:偏转, 打偏, ...
- Japanese:そらす, はじく, ...
- Arabic:حَرَّفَ, حوّل مسار الكرة, ...
- Hebrew:לְהָסִיט, לְהַסִּיט, ...
- Russian:отклонять, изменить траекторию, ...
- Ukrainian:відхиляти, відхилити, ...
- Hindi:मोड़ देना, दिशा बदलना, ...
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