detour
Americannoun
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a roundabout or circuitous way or course, especially one used temporarily when the main route is closed.
-
an indirect or roundabout procedure, path, etc.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to cause to make a detour.
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to make a detour around.
We detoured Birmingham.
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have detouredperfect
-
has detouredperfect 3rd person singular
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are detouringprogressive
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is detouringprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been detouringperfect progressive
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detourssingular 3rd person
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has been detouringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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detouringparticiple
-
am detouringprogressive 1st person singular
Past
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had detouredperfect
-
had been detouringperfect progressive
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detouredparticiple
-
detouredsimple
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were detouringprogressive plural
-
was detouringprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of detour
1730–40 < French détour, Old French destor, derivative of destorner to turn aside, equivalent to des- de- + torner to turn
Explanation
A detour is a longer, less direct way to get where you're going. A traffic accident sometimes means you have to take a detour to get home. When signs direct drivers to take a detour, it's usually because of road work or an emergency that's blocking traffic. You can also detour, or take an unexpected route, while you're running errands, stopping at your favorite bakery for a cookie before you continue on. The French détour comes from the verb destorner, "turn aside."
Vocabulary lists containing detour
Achievement First 5th Grade IA 1 Words
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Barbara Bush (1925 - 2018) Tribute List
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Shiloh
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This unpaid work is essential to families, communities and our economy — yet our retirement system still too often treats it like a personal detour instead of a shared reality.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
The conflict, he continued, is a “little detour, and it’s working very nicely.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
That means that boats will continue to take a detour from the prewar route that runs closer to the Iranian coastline and must be coordinated with Iran’s military External link.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
John Kani was on his way to joining the Umkhonto We Sizwe paramilitary wing in 1965 when he took a detour to a Serpent Players drama group rehearsal in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Cars coming off the detour slowed and stopped.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
