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• boycott
  boycott

  verb (used with object)

  to combine in abstaining from, or preventing dealings with, as a means of intimidation or coercion.
• Boycott
  Boycott

  noun

  Geoff ( rey ). born 1940, English cricketer: played for Yorkshire (1962–86); played in 108 test matches (1964–1982); first England batsman to score 8,000 test runs

Trivia Time

Who gave their name to the word boycott?

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boycott

American  

[boi-kot] / ˈbɔɪ kɒt /

verb (used with object)

1. to combine in abstaining from, or preventing dealings with, as a means of intimidation or coercion.

   to boycott a store.

2. to abstain from buying or using.

   to boycott foreign products.

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noun

1. the practice of boycotting.

2. an instance of boycotting.

Boycott ¹ British  

/ ˈbɔɪkɒt /

noun

1. Geoff ( rey ). born 1940, English cricketer: played for Yorkshire (1962–86); played in 108 test matches (1964–1982); first England batsman to score 8,000 test runs

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boycott ² British  

/ ˈbɔɪkɒt /

verb

1. (tr) to refuse to have dealings with (a person, organization, etc) or refuse to buy (a product) as a protest or means of coercion

   to boycott foreign produce

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noun

1. an instance or the use of boycotting

boycott Cultural  

1. The refusal to purchase the products of an individual, corporation, or nation as a way to bring social and political pressure for change.

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Other Word Forms

• antiboycott
  noun
• boycotter
  noun
• proboycott
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of boycott

After Charles C. Boycott (1832–97), English estate manager in Ireland, against whom nonviolent coercive tactics were used in 1880

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

They held signs that read “Protect our workers” and “Defend day labor centers! Boycott Home Depot.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

According to Belafonte, they arranged a meeting in the basement of Abyssinian Baptist Church, where King told him he was almost out of money to fund the Montgomery Bus Boycott and asked for help.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

Captain Ben Stokes denied Wednesday that England were undercooked for the Ashes series against Australia after a chorus of criticism led by legends Ian Botham and Geoffrey Boycott.

From Barron's • Nov. 12, 2025

Famously, his contemporaries at Barnsley Cricket Club were Sir Michael Parkinson and Sir Geoffrey Boycott, long before fame and knighthoods came their way.

From BBC • Sep. 23, 2025

It stood at the end of Dexter Avenue in Montgomery, across the street from the historic Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had pastored during the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• avoid
• cut off
• exclude
• refuse
• reject
• snub
• spurn