rehuir

Rehuir is a Spanish verb meaning to avoid, shun, or evade something or someone deliberately. It is a transitive verb used to indicate the act of keeping away from an obligation, situation, or interaction. The term often carries a sense of intentional withdrawal or evasive behavior, and it can have a moral or critical tone depending on the context.

Etymology and classification: rehúir comes from the prefix re- combined with huir (to flee). The verb huir itself descends from Latin fugere. Rehuir belongs to the group of -uir verbs in Spanish and is generally considered irregular, with spelling and pronunciation adjustments across tenses to preserve the intended meaning and sound.

Conjugation notes: like other -uir verbs, rehúir shows irregularities in several tenses and person forms, with changes in the root and accentuation patterns. In present usage, forms such as rehúye (he/she avoids) or rehúyen (they avoid) may appear, and other tenses modify the stem in ways typical for -uir verbs. The pronunciation also reflects the need to maintain a syllabic rhythm consistent with Spanish stress rules.

Usage and nuances: rehúir emphasizes deliberate avoidance rather than simple failure to confront a situation. It is common in formal, journalistic, or literary language and is often contrasted with evitar (to prevent or avoid), eludir (to elude), or esquivar (to dodge) when a more precise shade of avoidance is intended.

Examples: Ella rehúye las confrontaciones; El sindicato rehuyó responder a las preguntas de la prensa. These reflect the sense of purposeful withdrawal from an obligation or discussion.