digress

[dih-gres, dahy-] / dɪˈgrɛs, daɪ- /

VERB

stray, deviate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

meander

STRONG

aberrate depart divagate drift ramble roam swerve veer wander

WEAK

be diffuse beat about the bush circumlocute excurse get off the point get off the subject get sidetracked go by way of go off on a tangent long way turn aside wander away

Antonyms

STRONG

go direct stay

WEAK

be direct

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There are less rules outside, fewer boundaries: coffee dates prolong, walks meander, thoughts digress.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

I digress, though: This is a column about what is popular, not what is right and wrong!

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2025

But I digress . . . and I do not want to leave you without these last words.

From Salon • May 23, 2024

But I digress — this is supposed to be a positive column.

From Seattle Times • May 3, 2023

And Small Islanders eager to say their ancestry is “mixed”? But we must not digress.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie