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• boycott
  boycott

  verb (used with object)

  to combine in abstaining from, or preventing dealings with, as a means of intimidation or coercion.
• Boycott
  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

Trivia Time

Who gave their name to the word boycott?

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boycott

American  

[boi-kot] / ˈbɔɪ kɒt /

verb (used with object)

1. to combine in abstaining from, or preventing dealings with, as a means of intimidation or coercion.

   to boycott a store.

2. to abstain from buying or using.

   to boycott foreign products.

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noun

1. the practice of boycotting.

2. an instance of boycotting.

boycott ¹ British  

/ ˈbɔɪkɒt /

verb

1. (tr) to refuse to have dealings with (a person, organization, etc) or refuse to buy (a product) as a protest or means of coercion

   to boycott foreign produce

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noun

1. an instance or the use of boycotting

Boycott ² British  

/ ˈbɔɪkɒt /

noun

1. 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

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boycott Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• antiboycott
  noun
• boycotter
  noun
• proboycott
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of boycott

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

Explanation

To boycott means to stop buying or using the goods or services of a certain company or country as a protest; the noun boycott is the protest itself. This noun comes from the name of Charles C. Boycott, an English land agent in 19th-century Ireland who refused to reduce rents for his tenant farmers. As a result, the local residents did not want to have any dealings with him. Boycotts are an effective way to use your spending dollars to effect change.

Example Sentences

Young people on the streets of Dublin who spoke to BBC News NI were supportive of the boycott.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

The consul general had been responding to a Times editorial supporting a boycott of products made with cotton produced in the Xinjiang region of China.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

He described a potential boycott as "shameful and hypocritical".

From BBC • May 10, 2026

Jannik Sinner considers it "tough to say" whether he would ever boycott a Grand Slam over prize money, but the Italian claims players are not getting the respect they deserve.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Her quiet defiance inspired the 381-day Montgomery bus boycott, mobilizing Montgomery’s black community and resulting in a Supreme Court decision that Alabama laws requiring segregation on city buses were unconstitutional.

From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• avoid
• cut off
• exclude
• refuse
• reject
• snub
• spurn