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Deflect (verb) cause (something) to change direction by interposing something; turn aside from a straight course. "the bullet was deflected harmlessly into the
by Johnny555 7y ago
Deflect (verb) cause (something) to change direction by interposing something; turn aside from a straight course.
"the bullet was deflected harmlessly into the ceiling"
- intertextuality 7y agoAlthough you are correct and GP was mistaken in their definition, `reflect` fits better here. Definition of reflect transitive verb 1 : to prevent passage of and cause to change direction // a mirror reflects light --- Definition of deflect transitive verb : to turn (something) aside especially from a straight course or fixed direction // armor that deflects bullets, deflecting a question --- With deflect, something is simply being diverted, whereas with reflect, it's more intentionally being aimed somewhere. This is the nuance I feel innately, although at this point we're splitting hairs I think.
- function_seven 7y agoYeah. Tough questions are deflected. Glory is reflected. Deflection is typically used when the would-be target is protected from the incoming object. Reflection is when the never-was target is now a target.
- Johnny555 7y agoAlthough you are correct and GP was mistaken in their definition, `reflect` fits better here. I don't see why deflect isn't acceptable. Previously the sun was shining on the hillside below, now it's been deflected to the town square.
- kwhitefoot 7y agodeflect is not appropriate in that sentence because it means that the sun itself would be moved.
- sergioj97 7y agoWhat I understood is just that reflect seems to fit better here, given the most common use cases for the word.