boycott

[ boi-kot ]

/ ˈbɔɪ kɒt /

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.

Nearby words

boy wonder, boy-meets-girl, boyar, boyce, boychik, boycott, boyd, boyd orr, boyden meal, boyer, boyer's bursa

Origin of boycott

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

Related forms

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

Can be confused

boycott embargo

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

Examples from the Web for 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|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
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|DAILY BEAST

Last Monday, university students began a boycott of classes.
Hong Kong Protesters Fear Martial Law Is Coming|Gordon G. Chang|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And to make matters worse, they now bear the brunt of the Chinese boycott aimed at American goods.
The Old World and Its Ways|William Jennings Bryan
There is hot talk of a boycott to be extended to everything sold or handled by the Hatch syndicate.
The Wreckers|Francis Lynde
Japan felt the effects of the boycott more than any other country.
Introduction to Non-Violence|Theodore Paullin
Indignation meetings were held, and it was determined to boycott the monks.
Las Casas|Alice J. Knight
And now comes this Treaty with a further development of this same policy of blockade and boycott.
The New Germany|George Young

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

Culture 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.