S'éloigner (en. To move away)

/se.el.wa.je/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench
verb
To distance oneself from a place or a person.
He decided to distance himself from his hometown to find a better job.
Il a décidé de s'éloigner de sa ville natale pour trouver un meilleur emploi.
To take a step back from a situation or group.
She chose to distance herself from her toxic friends.
Elle a choisi de s'éloigner de ses amis toxiques.
To drift apart physically or emotionally.
Over time, he drifted away from his old passions.
Avec le temps, il s'est éloigné de ses anciennes passions.

Etymology

From the verb 'loin' with the prefix 's'éloigner' derived from the Latin 'alienare'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

to distance oneself from the truth
Avoiding being honest or facing reality.
s'éloigner de la vérité
to stray from the topic
Changing the subject or not staying focused on the main theme.
s'éloigner du sujet
to diverge from the norms
Not adhering to established rules or standards.
s'éloigner des normes

Related Words

distant
Who is distant in space or time.
lointain
distance
Measure of the gap between two points.
distance
to withdraw
To take a step back or withdraw from a situation.
se retirer

Slang Meanings

To distance oneself in an improvised manner.
He made a 'distance' move when he saw problems arising.
Il a fait un 's'éloignage' quand il a vu des problèmes arriver.
To extract oneself from an awkward social situation.
She made a quick distancing when the conversation turned disastrous.
Elle a fait un s'éloignement rapide quand la conversation a tourné au désastre.