cease

American  

[sees] / sis /

verb (used without object)

ceased, ceasing

1. to stop; discontinue.

   Not all medieval beliefs have ceased to exist.

   Antonyms:

   begin

2. to come to an end.

   At last the war has ceased.

   Synonyms:

   culminate, end, terminate

   Antonyms:

   begin

3. Obsolete. to pass away; die out.

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verb (used with object)

ceased, ceasing

1. to put a stop or end to; discontinue.

   He begged them to cease their quarreling.

noun

1. cessation.

   The noise of the drilling went on for hours without cease.

idioms

1. never cease to amaze. never cease to amaze.

cease British  

/ siːs /

verb

1. to bring or come to an end; desist from; stop

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noun

1. without stopping; incessantly

cease More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing cease

• wonders will never cease

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Etymology

Origin of cease

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ces(s)en, from Old French cesser, from Latin cessāre “to leave off,” equivalent to cess(us) (past participle of cēdere “to withdraw, go”; cede

Example Sentences

In this moment, I can’t imagine a narrative where Santee Alley ceases to exist.

From Los Angeles Times

After 20 years of bringing new contemporary dance to Los Angeles, Bodytraffic will cease operations in July.

From Los Angeles Times

Another four a week are ceasing to be played because of a lack of maintenance.

From BBC

Crude oil prices have surged, and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has all but ceased, sending energy importers in search of alternate sources.

From Los Angeles Times

Time ceases to exist in a place like this.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• break off
• desist
• discontinue
• fail
• halt
• quit
• refrain
• terminate