Avoid like the plague 🏃🦠

Meaning

To do everything possible to not encounter or deal with someone or something.

Origin

The phrase paints a vivid picture, doesn't it? Back in the days when the plague, also known as the Black Death, swept through towns and cities, it was a terrifying harbinger of death. People knew that close contact with the sick, or even their surroundings, could mean a swift and grim end. This primal fear of contagion was so potent that people would go to extreme lengths to steer clear of anyone or anything that seemed remotely connected to the disease. It made perfect sense to avoid the person, the house, the street – anything – with the same desperate urgency you'd use to flee a terrifying epidemic. The phrase simply captures that intense, visceral need to escape.

😨😱 fear ⚕️ medical 💀🥀 death 🔒 secrets

Avoid like the plague represented with emoji🏃🦠

This playful pairing functions as a delightful reminder to steer clear of the undesirable! Note how the runner's swift dash and the microbe's ubiquitous presence combine to underscore the urgent need to keep one's distance, evoking a spirited dance of avoidance with just a few charming glyphs.

Examples

  • I avoid that grumpy old man at the bus stop like the plague.
  • After the disastrous team-building retreat, everyone decided to avoid the activity coordinator like the plague.
  • She avoids her ex-boyfriend's social media updates like the plague, lest she be tempted to check if he's finally learned to cook.
  • The squirrels in our yard avoid the new scarecrow like the plague, mistaking its straw-filled grin for a warning of impending acorn rationing.

Frequently asked questions

Is "avoid like the plague" a proverb or an idiom?

"Avoid like the plague" is an idiom. It's a figurative expression where the literal meaning of the words doesn't directly correspond to the intended meaning, which is to avoid something intensely.

What's the opposite of "avoid like the plague"?

The opposite of "avoid like the plague" would be something like "embrace wholeheartedly" or "seek out eagerly." These phrases suggest a strong desire to engage with or be near something, rather than to flee from it.

Is there a more modern version of "avoid like the plague"?

While "avoid like the plague" remains common, modern equivalents often use less dramatic imagery, such as "avoid like the bubonic plague" or simply "avoid at all costs." The core meaning of intense avoidance persists across different phrasings.

Can "avoid like the plague" be used for something other than disease?

Yes, "avoid like the plague" can absolutely be used for things other than disease. It's commonly applied to people, situations, tasks, or even ideas that one finds highly undesirable and wants to steer clear of.

Similar to "avoid like the plague"

Give it a wide berth
Both phrases mean to keep away from something, but 'give it a wide berth' sounds like a nautical or traveler's caution, suggesting distance and navigation rather than sheer panic
Steer clear of
Both phrases signal a desire to avoid, but 'steer clear of' is more matter-of-fact about actively navigating around a problem, less about the visceral dread implied by 'plague'
Treat someone/something as persona non grata
Both phrases demand exclusion, but 'persona non grata' is a formal, almost diplomatic declaration of unacceptability, where 'avoid like the plague' is a visceral, personal reaction

Opposite of "avoid like the plague"

Run toward the fire
This phrase argues for confronting danger head-on, offering courage and heroism where 'avoid like the plague' champions self-preservation and sensible retreat
Embrace the challenge
This advocates for welcoming difficulties as opportunities for growth, a direct counterpoint to the desperate desire to escape any encounter implied by 'avoid like the plague'
Seek out the storm
This suggests a deliberate search for difficult or dangerous situations, directly opposing the instinct to flee from perceived threats that 'avoid like the plague' embodies

Related to "avoid like the plague"

Nip it in the bud
Both phrases deal with preventing negative outcomes, but 'nip it in the bud' focuses on early intervention to stop something bad from developing, whereas 'avoid like the plague' is about reacting to something already present
Dogged by bad luck
While 'avoid like the plague' is an active avoidance, 'dogged by bad luck' describes a state of being constantly afflicted, suggesting the very thing one might try to avoid has attached itself
A thorn in my side
This phrase describes a persistent annoyance, the kind of thing one might feel compelled to 'avoid like the plague,' sharing the sentiment of something undesirable causing discomfort
Cut ties with
This phrase describes the act of ending a relationship or connection, often with the underlying intent to subsequently 'avoid like the plague' the person or situation