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Digress vs Deflect - What's the difference?

digress | deflect | Related terms |

Digress is a related term of deflect.


In lang=en terms the difference between digress and deflect

is that digress is to turn aside from the right path; to transgress; to offend while deflect is to deviate from its original path.

As verbs the difference between digress and deflect

is that digress is to step or turn aside; to deviate; to swerve; especially, to turn aside from the main subject of attention, or course of argument, in writing or speaking while deflect is to make (something) deviate from its original path.

digress

English

Verb

(es)
  • To step or turn aside; to deviate; to swerve; especially, to turn aside from the main subject of attention, or course of argument, in writing or speaking.
  • * Holland
    • Moreover she beginneth to digress in latitude.
  • * John Locke
    • In the pursuit of an argument there is hardly room to digress into a particular definition as often as a man varies the signification of any term.
  • * {{quote-song
    • , year = 1959 , title = In Old Mexico , composer = (Tom Lehrer) , passage = For I hadn't had so much fun since the day / my brother's dog Rover / got run over. / (Rover was killed by a Pontiac. And it was done with such grace and artistry that the witnesses awarded the driver both ears and the tail – but I digress .) }}
  • To turn aside from the right path; to transgress; to offend.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Thy abundant goodness shall excuse / This deadly blot on thy digressing son.

    Synonyms

    * (turn from the course of argument) sidetrack

    Related terms

    * digression * digressive * excursive

    deflect

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make (something) deviate from its original path.
  • To deviate from its original path.
  • (figuratively) To avoid addressing (questions, criticism, etc.).
    • The Prime Minister deflected some increasingly pointed questions by claiming he had an appointment.
  • (figuratively) To divert (attention, etc.).
  • * 2013 , Luke Harding and Uki Goni, Argentina urges UK to hand back Falklands and 'end colonialism'' (in ''The Guardian , 3 January 2013)[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jan/02/argentina-britain-hand-back-falklands]
    • Critics suggest that Fernández, an unashamed populist and nationalist, is seeking to deflect attention from social disharmony at home.