dodge
Word family
- dodgernounB2
- dodgingnounB2
- dodgedverbB1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
Dodge, duck, sidestep, and evade all describe avoiding something, but they differ in how the avoidance happens. Dodge is the most general physical term — it means moving your body sideways or quickly to escape a moving threat, such as a punch or a ball. Duck specifically means lowering your head or body, usually to let something pass over you, like a low branch or a flying object. Sidestep is more deliberate and smaller in range: you take one step to the side, often to avoid a collision or a sensitive question. Evade is more abstract and formal — it leans toward avoiding capture, detection, or responsibility rather than a physical object. In conversation: 'He dodged the snowball' (physical move) vs. 'He ducked behind the wall' (lowering body) vs. 'He sidestepped the question' (verbal avoidance) vs. 'He evaded the police for weeks' (escape from pursuit).
Common collocations
Etymology
The verb 'dodge' first appeared in English around the 1560s. Its exact origin is uncertain, but it may come from a Scottish or Northern English dialect word meaning 'to shake or jog.' The physical sense — moving aside to avoid a blow — is recorded by the early 1600s. By the 1700s, the word had developed its figurative meaning of avoiding a duty or question through trickery. The noun forms followed within a few decades, with 'dodge' referring both to the movement itself and to a clever scheme of avoidance.