boycott

[boi-kot]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR boycott ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

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

the practice of boycotting.

an instance of boycotting.

Origin of boycott

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

Related formsboy·cott·er, nounan·ti·boy·cott, noun, adjectivepro·boy·cott, adjective

Can be confusedboycott embargo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for boycott

refuse, spurn, avoid, snub, reject, exclude, embargo, prohibit, bar, ostracize, outlaw, blackball, blacklist, strike, proscribe

Examples from the Web for boycott

Contemporary Examples of boycott

Those rumors, in turn, sparked a boycott of enterprises affiliated with the family.
The Godfather of Right-Wing Radio
Caitlin Dickson
November 23, 2014
The conservative Christian group mailed out nearly one million cards to supporters calling on them to boycott Disney products.
When the Religious Right Attacked ‘The Little Mermaid’
Asawin Suebsaeng
November 20, 2014
The 1996 filing (which you can check out here) was, naturally, as silly and frivolous as the boycott push that came before it.
When the Religious Right Attacked ‘The Little Mermaid’
Asawin Suebsaeng
November 20, 2014
Celebrities like Weir were called on to urge a boycott of the Games.
‘To Russia With Love’: Can Johnny Weir Save Russia’s Gays?
Kevin Fallon
October 29, 2014
Last Monday, university students began a boycott of classes.
Hong Kong Protesters Fear Martial Law Is Coming
Gordon G. Chang
September 29, 2014

Historical Examples of boycott

The sanction of the caste rules is in a boycott by all members of the caste.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner
But in a year they were trembling in the face of that boycott.
Flash-lights from the Seven Seas
William L. Stidger
The boycott continues, but it is dwindling in intensity and will soon subside.
Peking Dust
Ellen N. La Motte
Indignation meetings were held, and it was determined to boycott the monks.
Las Casas
Alice J. Knight
This may vary from the "cold shoulder" to the complete "boycott."
Introduction to the Science of Sociology
Robert E. Park

British Dictionary definitions for boycott

boycott

verb

(tr) to refuse to have dealings with (a person, organization, etc) or refuse to buy (a product) as a protest or means of coercionto boycott foreign produce

noun

an instance or the use of boycotting

Word Origin for boycott

C19: after Captain C. C. Boycott (1832–97), Irish land agent for the Earl of Erne, County Mayo, Ireland, who was a victim of such practices for refusing to reduce rents

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

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

Word Origin and History for boycott

1880, noun and verb, from Irish Land League ostracism of Capt. Charles C. Boycott (1832-1897), land agent of Lough-Mask in County Mayo, who refused to lower rents for his tenant farmers. Quickly adopted by newspapers in languages as far afield as Japanese (boikotto). The family name is from a place in England.

boycott in Culture

boycott

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