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dodge
/dɒdʒ/
to avoid something quickly
She dodged the ball that was thrown at her.
She quickly moved out of the way to avoid being hit.
informal
to move quickly to avoid something
The boxer dodged the punch and countered with a jab.
The boxer moved quickly to avoid the punch and then hit back.
He dodged the question by changing the subject.
He avoided answering the question by talking about something else.
Can be used literally (physical movement) or figuratively (avoiding a topic).
Collocations
dodge a questionavoid answering a questiondodge a bulletavoid a dangerous or difficult situation
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Usage
Use 'dodge' for quick, often physical avoidance, but it can also be used figuratively for avoiding topics or responsibilities.
Gold Rule
Physical vs. Figurative
Remember that 'dodge' can describe both physical movement (e.g., in sports) and avoiding abstract things (e.g., questions).
Word Origin
From Middle English 'dodgen', possibly from Old Norse 'dauða' (to kill) or 'dauðr' (dead), suggesting a connection to avoiding death.
Usage Notes
Often used in sports, combat, or informal contexts to describe quick avoidance.
Word Breakdown
dodge
to move quickly to avoid
rootEnglish Dictionary