deflect
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to hit something and make it move in a different direction.
to cause an object to deviate from its original straight path or position by hitting or blocking it.
Simple“The ball hit the defender's leg and deflected into the goal.”
In context“The bullet struck the metal plate and deflected harmlessly into the sandbags, preventing any injury to the bystanders.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'off' or 'away from'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to avoid answering a question or dealing with a problem by changing the subject.
to divert attention, criticism, or blame away from oneself toward another person or topic.
Simple“The politician tried to deflect the reporter's difficult questions by talking about his past successes.”
In context“During the press conference, the CEO attempted to deflect criticism regarding the falling stock prices by highlighting the company's recent charitable donations.”
UsageCommonly takes 'attention', 'blame', or 'criticism' as a direct object.
- 03 C1 Advanced
to make someone else look responsible for a mistake so you do not get in trouble.
to redirect culpability or responsibility to an external party to avoid personal or professional consequences.
Simple“He always tries to deflect the blame onto his coworkers when a project fails.”
In context“The patient exhibited a chronic tendency to deflect responsibility for his actions, a common defence mechanism in certain personality disorders.”
UsageOften used in clinical or sociological contexts to describe defensive behaviour.
From Latin deflecto, from de- (“away”) + flecto (“to bend”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.