to combine in abstaining from, or preventing dealings with, as a means of intimidation or coercion.
to boycott a store.
to abstain from buying or using.
to boycott foreign products.
the practice of boycotting.
an instance of boycotting.
After Charles C. Boycott (1832–97), English estate manager in Ireland, against whom nonviolent coercive tactics were used in 1880
To boycott means to stop buying or using the goods or services of a certain company or country as a protest; the noun boycott is the protest itself. This noun comes from the name of Charles C. Boycott, an English land agent in 19th-century Ireland who refused to reduce rents for his tenant farmers. As a result, the local residents did not want to have any dealings with him. Boycotts are an effective way to use your spending dollars to effect change.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The boycott was dropped in 1984 when Nestlé agreed to refine its policy to fit with the World Health Organization’s recommendations.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
They are required by U.S. law not to comply with such a boycott.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
J&J Nursery, a facility owned by a state senator who helped approve the Stratos megaproject, is facing widespread calls for a boycott.
From Slate • Jun. 1, 2026
The consul general had been responding to a Times editorial supporting a boycott of products made with cotton produced in the Xinjiang region of China due to the use of forced labor.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
The Montgomery bus boycott that precipitated these events, like the sympathetic action it prompted in Durham, shocked most whites.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
