boycott

[ boi-kot ]

/ ˈbɔɪ kɒt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: boycott / boycotter 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.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of boycott

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

OTHER WORDS FROM boycott

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH boycott

boycott , embargo

Words nearby boycott

boy, boyar, boy band, Boyce, boychik, boycott, Boyd, Boyden meal, Boyd Orr, Boyer, Boyer's bursa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use boycott in a sentence

The company was the first high-profile advertisers to join the boycott — and now one of the first to announce its return.
As the Facebook boycott ends, brand advertisers are split on what happens next with their marketing budgets|Seb Joseph|August 3, 2020|Digiday
It also appears Facebook won’t need to make many of the concessions boycott organizers wanted.
Did the Facebook Ads boycott actually work?|Greg Sterling|July 30, 2020|Search Engine Land
In some cases, publishers have been able to draw a direct connection between the Facebook video ad revenue decline and the advertiser boycott.
As advertisers boycott Facebook, publishers see video ad revenue fall in July|Tim Peterson|July 16, 2020|Digiday
Boycott or no boycott the biggest Facebook advertisers were always going to spend less on the platform in 2020.
Advertisers were cutting their Facebook ad spending well before the boycott began|Seb Joseph|July 10, 2020|Digiday

When he met with leaders of the boycott, he stuck to familiar talking points.
Facebook in the age of revolt|Brian Morrissey|July 10, 2020|Digiday
Unless Cuba sends them back, you might consider following the now lifted embargo with your own personal boycott.
Cuba Protects America’s Most Wanted|Michael Daly|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Black Friday demonstrations were part of a nation wide boycott and mass action to bring awareness to Ferguson.
This Week's Riots Are Part of America's Long History of Racial Rage|Sharon Adarlo|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Those rumors, in turn, sparked a boycott of enterprises affiliated with the family.
The Godfather of Right-Wing Radio|Caitlin Dickson|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
There is hot talk of a boycott to be extended to everything sold or handled by the Hatch syndicate.
The Wreckers|Francis Lynde
Another common word taken at first from politics, but now used in a general sense, is boycott.
Stories That Words Tell Us|Elizabeth O'Neill
That was a secondary boycott, which Mr. Cleveland said ought to be suppressed.
Ethics in Service|William Howard Taft
As soon as opposition developed the Ku Klux “freedom of the press” manifested itself in a desire to boycott the newspaper.
The Modern Ku Klux Klan|Henry Peck Fry
It is generally used in English as a verb of which the nearest equivalent is another curious verb—to boycott.
The Science of Fairy Tales|Edwin Sidney Hartland

British Dictionary definitions for boycott (1 of 2)

boycott

/ (ˈbɔɪkɒt) /

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

British Dictionary definitions for boycott (2 of 2)

Boycott

/ (ˈbɔɪkɒt) /

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

Cultural definitions for boycott

boycott

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

boycott

Origin of boycott

OTHER WORDS FROM boycott

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH boycott

Words nearby boycott

Words related to boycott

How to use boycott in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for boycott (1 of 2)

Word Origin for boycott

British Dictionary definitions for boycott (2 of 2)

Cultural definitions for boycott