boycott
verb (used with object)
to combine in abstaining from, or preventing dealings with, as a means of intimidation or coercion.
Trivia Time
Who gave their name to the word boycott?
boycott
American
[boi-kot]
/ ˈbɔɪ kɒt /
verb (used with object)
-
boycotts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
boycotted,
past participle, past
-
boycotting
present participle
-
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.
noun
-
boycotts
plural
-
the practice of boycotting.
-
an instance of boycotting.
boycott
1
British
/ ˈbɔɪkɒt /
verb
noun
Boycott
2
British
/ ˈbɔɪkɒt /
noun
boycott
Cultural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
boycottsimple
-
boycottssimple
-
have boycottedperfect
-
has boycottedperfect
-
am boycottingprogressive
-
are boycottingprogressive
-
is boycottingprogressive
-
have been boycottingperfect progressive
-
has been boycottingperfect progressive
Past
-
boycottedsimple
-
had boycottedperfect
-
was boycottingprogressive
-
were boycottingprogressive
-
had been boycottingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing boycott
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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.
See Examples For:
Instead, it announced that it could arrest people for bringing in even personal items bought before the boycott took effect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
In one food group I follow, posts about AI restaurant marketing increasingly read like miniature boycott pledges.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
His boycott threat could end up being a blow to tournament organisers.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Educator Kendall C. Peacock posted a video on Instagram asking followers whether a boycott of the brand was warranted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
One woman’s actions on a single bus eventually led to the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott, a milestone in the Civil Rights Movement.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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
"To call past players 'has-beens' was disrespectful especially as some of those 'has-beens' played in teams that won the Ashes in England and Australia," said Boycott.
From Barron's ● Dec. 1, 2025
The service at St Mary's Church in Barnsley was attended by former England cricketers Sir Geoffrey Boycott and Michael Vaughan and was followed by a private family-only cremation and a wake at the town hall.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2025
I try to think outside the box— most men use football teams as passwords, I think, but Tom isn’t into football; he quite likes cricket, so I try Boycott and Botham and Ashes.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
"Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act," an antitrust measure, Covington wrote in a statement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
The wine industry faces challenges beyond Canadian boycotts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Since the controversy blew up earlier this week, ticket prices, external for his remaining shows in the US, Mexico and South America have dropped, as calls for boycotts spread.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
PEN America said its longstanding policy on cultural and academic boycotts hasn’t changed, opposing boycotts institutionally while defending the rights of individuals to engage in them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
With extraordinary bravery, civil rights leaders, activists, and progressive clergy launched boycotts, marches, and sit-ins protesting the Jim Crow system.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Covington told the Times and the Washington Post that the five networks -- ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News -- had "boycotted covering White House events."
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
“Members of the television press pool have boycotted covering White House events. Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Covington said in a statement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Ordinary Canadians have even boycotted U.S. products and avoided taking vacations here in solidarity.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
Fans and commentators who have previously boycotted the EWC had urged others to continue doing so this year, despite the change of venue.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
The lion’s share of students boycotted the election, but twenty-five stu-dents, about one-sixth of the student body, showed up and elected six representatives, one of whom was myself.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Meanwhile, university students in several other Albanian towns were boycotting classes.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Local elections are under way, which protesters are boycotting.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Locals are furious and have been boycotting it out of principle.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
In Dallas, Carrie Hanna was hurt to discover that friends she thought were boycotting the camp are, in fact, sending their daughters this summer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
Gran ended up boycotting the ash scattering, and if she wasn’t going, there was no reason for the rest of us to.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
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