turn away
verb8 senses
- 1To rotate so as not to face someone or something.
- 2To rotate oneself so as not to face someone or something.
- 3To bend or turn from a fixed course.
- 4To bend or turn from a fixed course.
- 5To refuse to admit someone or accept something.
- 6To avert or ward off the occurrence or effects of.
- 7To dismiss from service.
- 8To forsake or refuse an association or commitment.
1
Literally To rotate so as not to face someone or something.
- Thereat the Elfe did blush in priuitee, / And turnd his face away; but she the same / Dissembled faire, and faynd to ouersee.1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
2
Literally To rotate oneself so as not to face someone or something.
3
Literally To bend or turn from a fixed course.
4
Literally To bend or turn from a fixed course.
- He met Luis Suarez's cross at the far post, only for Chelsea keeper Petr Cech to show brilliant reflexes to deflect his header on to the bar. Carroll turned away to lead Liverpool's insistent protests that the ball had crossed the line but referee Phil Dowd and assistant referee Andrew Garratt waved play on, with even a succession of replays proving inconclusive.2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:
5
Figuratively To refuse to admit someone or accept something.
- He was turned away at the border because he didn't have a valid visa.
- The referee turned away the players' protests.
1 more example
- For heauen doth know (ſo ſhall the world perceiue) That I haue turn'd away my former Selfe, So will I thoſe that kept me Companie.c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 100:
6
Figuratively To avert or ward off the occurrence or effects of.
- to turn away disaster
7
Dated To dismiss from service.
- to turn away a servant
8
Figuratively To forsake or refuse an association or commitment.
- He turned away from his old comrades.
- She increasingly turned away from politics.
2 more examples
- Some people donate what they can, while others simply turn away.
- Turn away from a life of sin.
- Derived terms
- turnaway