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alejar

to move away

verb ah-leh-HAHR Less Common
Travel & Places Movement

Origin: From lejos (far) + prefix a-; lejos is from Latin laxius (more widely apart).

Also means

to distance

Usage Note

Alejar means to physically or figuratively move something/someone away (alejar peligros = 'to ward off dangers'). The reflexive alejarse means to go away or drift apart (se alejó de sus amigos = 'he drifted away from his friends'). It contrasts with acercar (to bring closer), and the two often appear together in descriptions of distance and relationships.

Examples

"Decidió alejarse del ruido de la ciudad."

Natural Translation

She decided to move away from the city noise.

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