digress

as in to wander
to speak or write about something that is different from the main subject being discussed He digressed so often that it was hard to follow what he was saying. If I can digress for a moment, I'd like to briefly mention her earlier films.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb digress contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of digress are depart, deviate, diverge, swerve, and veer. While all these words mean "to turn aside from a straight course," digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

Where would depart be a reasonable alternative to digress?

The words depart and digress can be used in similar contexts, but depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

When can deviate be used instead of digress?

While the synonyms deviate and digress are close in meaning, deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

How are the words diverge and depart related as synonyms of digress?

Diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

When might swerve be a better fit than digress?

In some situations, the words swerve and digress are roughly equivalent. However, swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

When is veer a more appropriate choice than digress?

Although the words veer and digress have much in common, veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of digress The islanders can no more control whether the whales come or go than Ella can control her cancer or Mayor Annie can corral a group of quibbling, digressing neighbors into decisive action. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025 Mahler handled this melodrama with remarkable composure; apparently, the two men digressed into a discussion of the brokenness of modern art. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025 The operative word is slightly; don’t digress into the weeds. Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024 The islanders can no more control whether the whales come or go than Ella can control her cancer or Mayor Annie can corral a group of quibbling, digressing neighbors into decisive action. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025 Short chapters often begin in the present and then digress into episodes from the narrator’s mostly stable, untroubled past. Lauren Christensen, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025 Mahler handled this melodrama with remarkable composure; apparently, the two men digressed into a discussion of the brokenness of modern art. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025 The operative word is slightly; don’t digress into the weeds. Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024 As the immediate gratification from short-term gains may digress us from the long-term impact of nudging, the process should unfold organically. Harshit Jain, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for digress
Verb
  • After a 3-month long girls trip along Florida’s Gulf Coast, a wayward pair of endangered North Atlantic right whales known as Curlew and Koala have finally wandered back to the Atlantic Ocean.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Alberta is skeptical… until Hetty points out how Pete has been wandering and dating up a storm, was secretly in the mafia and punched Thor in the face after the Viking slept with Carol.
    Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Even Porziņģis missing time throughout the playoffs didn’t force the Celtics to deviate much from their plan.
    Jay King, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The main function of the yeast deviated from producing good beer to simply being able to survive for an extraordinarily long period of time without its primary food source: barley sugar.
    Gary Stoller, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The store feels like a perfect place to pop into every few weeks for items that stray from a typical grocery haul.
    Katelyn Squiers, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2025
  • The event has become less staid over the years but hasn’t strayed too far into rock and rap territory, leaving the more eclectic bookings for the folk side.
    Dan Reilly, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Digress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/digress. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on digress

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