cease

[ sees ]

verb (used without object)

, ceased, ceas·ing.

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.

verb (used with object)

, ceased, ceas·ing.

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.

cease

/ siːs /

verb

1. whentr, may take a gerund or an infinitive as object to bring or come to an end; desist from; stop

noun

1. without cease
   without stopping; incessantly

Word History and Origins

Origin of cease¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cease¹

C14: from Old French cesser, from Latin cessāre, frequentative of cēdere to yield, cede

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

More idioms and phrases containing cease

In addition to the idiom beginning with cease , also see wonders will never cease .

Example Sentences

Slowly, slowly, dance classes may cease to be such secret and guilty pleasures in Iran.

From The Daily Beast

While there are a couple of antibiotics that usually work, if they are overused they, too, may cease to be effective.

From The Daily Beast

The liberated soul does not cease to act, to think, to create, to instigate revolutionary flows.

From The Daily Beast

If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.

From The Daily Beast

The facts do not cease to matter merely because a white cop killed a black boy.

From The Daily Beast

The bear watched him narrowly with its wicked little eyes, though it did not see fit to cease its paw-licking.

From Project Gutenberg

As soon as he had seen his mother, he would set off again, and never cease searching till he had found either Ramona or her grave.

From Project Gutenberg

It was a life full of freedom, and I shall never cease to be grateful for it, but I must go home soon and look after my affairs.

From Project Gutenberg

He made him like the saints in glory, and magnified him in the fear of his enemies, and with his words he made prodigies to cease.

From Project Gutenberg

Industrial society, they say, must be reorganized from top to bottom; private industry must cease.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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