cease
Americanverb (used without object)
-
ceases,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ceased,
past participle, past
-
ceasing
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
ceases,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ceased,
past participle, past
-
ceasing
present participle
noun
idioms
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ceasesimple
-
ceasessimple
-
have ceasedperfect
-
has ceasedperfect
-
am ceasingprogressive
-
are ceasingprogressive
-
is ceasingprogressive
-
have been ceasingperfect progressive
-
has been ceasingperfect progressive
Past
-
ceasedsimple
-
had ceasedperfect
-
was ceasingprogressive
-
were ceasingprogressive
-
had been ceasingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing cease
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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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.
See Examples For:
Earlier this week, Kalshi, a rival prediction market, was ordered to cease most operations in Washington state.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
A roadmap released by the Board of Peace and dated Thursday called for Israel to complete commitments to cease military operations in Gaza "without delay".
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
But the local government separately ordered the project to cease operations, citing licensing irregularities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
Officials and members of parliament swiftly condemned Tehran for violating the country’s sovereignty, while the foreign ministry summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Amman, the Jordanian capital, and demanded Iran cease attacks on the kingdom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
This procession of gray days in a mental fog must eventually cease.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Researchers refer to this phenomenon as Goodhart’s law: “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.”
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
If exchange ceases to be reciprocal, the entire relationship changes.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026
If a child isn’t acting exactly how a parent or caretaker would prefer at any moment, is that the barrier where our love for them ceases, even momentarily?
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
That means your card should remain active even after Spirit ceases operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly he gets around the sectors.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
Facing the sea, Havana's famous Malecon seawall has ceased to be a promenade for tourists or lovers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
They noted that a nearby oil rig, Platform Grace, has already ceased operating due to declining production and is now being decommissioned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The author’s fondness for masculine attire and habits—she enjoyed smoking cigars—has never ceased to generate ticklish speculation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Mr Aquilino phoned his mother every day and his contact with her had ceased by the time Desborough made the trip, prosecutors told the court.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
A huge cloud of black dust swelled into the sky, and even the moon ceased to exist.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
OnPoint Logistics will be ceasing operations at its San Francisco location and cutting 96 jobs, according to a government filing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
Samsung Electronics is ceasing sales of televisions and home appliances in China due to fierce competition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
The troubled carrier, which was set to emerge from its second bankruptcy in a year, announced it was ceasing operations after a potential White House bailout fell through.
From Barron's ● May 2, 2026
A fragile ceasefire followed, but the negotiations failed to bring about a ceasing of hostilities between the two sides.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
The sewing machine thumps a methodic beat, never ceasing, but only getting stronger and stronger with each stitch.
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.
