cease

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See synonyms for: cease ceased ceasing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),ceased, ceas·ing.

to stop; discontinue: Not all medieval beliefs have ceased to exist.
to come to an end: At last the war has ceased.

Obsolete. to pass away; die out.

verb (used with object),ceased, ceas·ing.

to put a stop or end to; discontinue: He begged them to cease their quarreling.

noun

cessation: The noise of the drilling went on for hours without cease.

Idioms about cease

never cease to amaze. See entry at never cease to amaze.

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

Other words for cease

2	terminate, end, culminate

See synonyms for cease on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for cease

1, 2

begin

See antonyms for cease on Thesaurus.com

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cease in a sentence

If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.
After Torture Report, Our Moral Authority As a Nation Is Gone | Nick Gillespie | December 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In a democracy, an idea ceases to sound crazy once every candidate in an election has accepted it.
1980: America’s First Extraterrestrial Election | | October 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Thus the Bible ceases to be an ancient text, and therefore ceases to really say anything other than what we want it to say.
I’m a Christian, and Ken Ham Doesn’t Speak for Me | Brad Kramer | February 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The thought of pulling a gun and firing ceases to be the very last resort.
Ex-Cop’s Shooting of Texting Moviegoer Ends in Tragedy | Michael Daly | January 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Lady Gaga Experiments with Rotten Teeth: Lady Gaga never ceases to amaze with her bizarre fashion choices.
Lady Gaga Experiments with Rotten Teeth; Kerry Washington Plays a Realistic Michelle Obama | The Fashion Beast Team | November 4, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

When he does this he ceases to be a socialist pure and simple and becomes a criminal as well.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen Leacock
In Missouri the rent ceases, or if evicted of a part, he must pay rent on the remainder.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman | Albert Sidney Bolles
When it ceases to be kept open from the summer, its walls are squeezed together in the fashion that the crevices are closed.
Outlines of the Earth's History | Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
Some two hours after the tapping is done the flow entirely ceases and the tree must be tapped anew to secure a fresh flow.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge | Various
When the calling of officers cease, the kingdom of God ceases to be perpetuated upon the earth.
The Kingdom of God, Part 1 | Orson Pratt

British Dictionary definitions for cease

cease

/ (siːs) /

verb

(when tr, may take a gerund or an infinitive as object) to bring or come to an end; desist from; stop

noun

without cease without stopping; incessantly

Origin of cease

C14: from Old French cesser, from Latin cessāre, frequentative of cēdere to yield, cede

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with cease

cease

In addition to the idiom beginning with cease

cease and desist

also see:

wonders will never cease

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