Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

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.

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. see never cease to amaze.

cease British  
/ siːs /

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. without stopping; incessantly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
cease More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing cease

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”; see cede

Explanation

To cease is to stop or end. Your gym teacher may have trained the class so well that all chattering will cease every time she blows her whistle. Cease comes from the Old French cesser, which means "come to an end," "go away," "give up," or "yield." Although cease often appears in the past tense with "-ed," cease is common for talking about things as they come to an end. A dead plant has ceased living, and if you cease watering the rest of the plants, they will cease to exist too.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing cease

"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II

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!

Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon

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!

Unit 1: Telling Details

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!

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.

At the time, coroner investigations into Troubles-related deaths had to cease on 1 May 2024 under the terms of the government's Legacy Act, so the judge, Mr Justice Scoffield, agreed to fast-track the timetable.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Saleur expects the Strait of Hormuz will take at least six to seven months to normalize once hostilities cease.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

He said the company will cease to exist on Friday as part of the sprawling legal settlement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Russia's Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and army chief Valery Gerasimov have been instructed to "cease hostilities in all directions during this period", the Kremlin said.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

“I would die without you. Just straight up cease to exist.”

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

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.