敬遠

けいえん

pretending to respect (someone) while in fact staying distant; keeping at arm's length; giving a wide berth; avoiding (something unpleasant)

Common word

Meanings

Noun, Suru verb, Transitive
pretending to respect (someone) while in fact staying distant; keeping at arm's length; giving a wide berth
avoiding (something unpleasant); shying away from
giving (the batter) an "intentional walk"

Example sentences

君きみは彼かれを敬遠けいえんする方ほうがよい。

You had better keep him at a respectful distance.
彼かれはそのバッターを敬遠けいえんした。

He walked the batter intentionally.
ブラック企業きぎょうは労働者ろうどうしゃから敬遠けいえんされます。

Exploitative companies are avoided by the workforce.
彼かれは一番いちばん大事だいじな問題もんだいを敬遠けいえんしたように思おもえた。

I felt that he skirted around the most important issues.
麻薬まやくはどんなものでも敬遠けいえんしておいたほうがいい。

I think he should stay away from drugs of any sort.

More examples (4)

人前ひとまえで話はなすようなことは何なにによらず彼かれはいつも敬遠けいえんする。

He tends to shy away from anything that involves public speaking.
トムはすぐにヒステリーを起おこすので、みんなが敬遠けいえんする。

Tom loses his temper so easily that everybody avoids him.
食くわず嫌ぎらいで寿司すしを敬遠けいえんする人ひともいますが、何度なんどか食たべるうちに「寿司すしの虜とりこになった」という人ひとも結構けっこう多おおいですよ。

There are those who distance themselves from sushi without having ever tried it, but there are also a fair number of people who have "Become captive to sushi" having only tried it a few times.
建前たてまえは「嘘うそ」と誤解ごかいされがちですが、それは「嘘うそ」のように「人ひとを騙だまそうとするもの」ではなく「相手あいてとの意見いけんの相違そういを、相手あいてに不快感ふかいかんを与あたえず伝つたえるための手段しゅだんの一ひとつ」だと私わたしは考かんがえています。討論とうろんすることを敬遠けいえんしがちな日本人にほんじんが、円滑えんかつに物事ものごとを進すすめていけるようにと根付ねづいた文化ぶんかだと思おもいます。

The concept of "Tatemae" tends to be misunderstood as lying. But I think it's not lying in the sense of deceiving others, but rather as a way of respecting others' differences in opinion without making them uncomfortable. It's a cultural aspect stemming from how Japanese people tend to avoid arguments in favor of keeping the peace.