Word
divert
Phoneticsdi·vert, stress on the second syllable
US/daɪˈvɝt/
UK/daɪvˈɜːt/
Definitions
01to change direction
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to make something move in a different direction or follow a different route.
v. to cause someone or something to change course or turn from one direction to another. Transitive, often used with 'from' or 'to'.
“The police had to divert traffic because of the accident on the main road.”
“The authorities decided to divert the river's flow into a series of man-made canals to prevent seasonal flooding in the valley.”
02to redirect resources
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to use money, time, or effort for a different purpose than originally planned.
v. to reallocate money, attention, or resources from one purpose to another.
“The government diverted funds from the military to improve the local schools.”
“The CEO was accused of diverting company profits into his personal offshore accounts over several years.”
Synonyms
03to distract
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to take someone's attention away from what they are doing.
v. to draw the attention of a person away from a particular object or course of action.
“The loud noise outside diverted my attention from the book I was reading.”
“The magician used a puff of smoke to divert the audience's gaze while he hid the bird in his sleeve.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04to entertain
C1 · Advanced Formal · Literary
v. to entertain or amuse someone.
v. to provide amusement or entertainment by occupying the mind. Often used in the passive voice.
“The children were diverted by the clown's funny tricks during the party.”
“The host sought to divert his guests with a series of parlor games and light musical performances.”
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “divert” in context.
Verb
01. divert attention from the scandal
“The politician tried to divert attention from the scandal by announcing a new tax cut.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
02. divert funds into offshore accounts
“The audit revealed that the manager had been diverting funds into offshore accounts for years.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
03. divert resources to the project
“The CEO decided to divert resources to the project to ensure it met the deadline.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
04. divert traffic away from the city
“Police had to divert traffic away from the city center due to a major gas leak.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
05. successfully divert the flow
“Engineers successfully diverted the flow of the river to prevent further flooding.”
adv + verb
Noun
06. attempt to divert the plane
“The hijackers' attempt to divert the plane to a different country was thwarted by the crew.”
noun + infinitive
07. decision to divert the flight
“The pilot's decision to divert the flight was based on worsening weather conditions.”
noun + infinitive
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object; often used with the preposition 'from'.
Pitfall
The road was closed to divert the cars to another way.
The road was closed to divert traffic.
While 'divert' can take specific objects, it is most naturally used with collective nouns like 'traffic', 'funds', or 'attention' in professional contexts.
Real-World Examples
“That comes weeks after another grass fire near Heathrow's southern runway which forced 18 flights to divert and destroyed a large area of grassland.” “The regional maritime insecurity has driven some ships closer to the Somali coast as they divert south to avoid the conflict further north.” Etymology
From Middle English diverten, Old French divertir (“to turn or go different ways, part, separate, divert”), from Latin di- (“apart”) + vertere (“to turn”); see verse.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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