to divest
3
7.3
- verb
- /dɪˈvɛst/
- Formal
:
despojarse de
- Once she'd dispensed with her bonnet and cloak and divested Jasper of his jacket, Maisie extended competent arms for the baby.
Examples
-
Then just as quickly as he had divested himself of the trappings of civilization, he put them on again and resumed the stature of a man.
Fiction book (1998) -
Everyone in the room shot to attention, and a couple of fawning attendants leaped to divest the gentleman of his overcoat.
-
"You had better divest yourself of that ragged thing.
Fiction book (1994) -
Rod Albers, my altar boy partner, said one time as we were divesting after Mass.
Fiction book (2000) -
Divest yourself of raiment and join the yuletide revelers.
-
We ducked inside the small space and had begun to divest ourselves of the wettest of our outer garments when the door opened in front of us.
Fiction book (1999) -
Deloria went on to challenge researchers to come down from ivory towers, divest themselves of agendas set by narrow academic interests, and use their talents to support American Indians' struggles to improve their conditions.
Academic text (2004) -
Raised on a pedestal, the object of this attention, initially clad in black, is gradually divested of his hat and coat to reveal his bald head and gray pajamas.
Academic text (2000) -
The reclining figure represents the Buddha just before he passed into Nirvana, ...having at last divested himself of all earthly desire, ...hence the smile of perfect contentment.
-
Jeeves was standing in the foyer, divesting himself of his coat.
Synonyms
∞
1.5
To remove clothes or something from your body
88
2.0
To take off clothes from yourself or another person
63
3.4
Take off most or all clothes
12
6.3
To take off your clothes
12
5.1
To take off most or all of your clothes
1
9.9
To take off a suit of clothes or make something not fit for use
To remove clothes from a person or a cover from an object
To take off a blouse or similar top
Antonyms
How Undressed
Surface Forms
Etymology
Divest comes from Latin parts dis- 'away' and vestire 'to clothe', the same root as vest, so it literally meant to 'take off clothes'. That is why divest still means to undress or remove clothing.