desist
[ dih-sist, -zist ]
/ dɪˈsɪst, -ˈzɪst /
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verb (used without object)
to cease, as from some action or proceeding; stop.
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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Origin of desist
OTHER WORDS FROM desist
de·sist·ance, de·sist·ence, nounnon·de·sist·ing, adjective, nounun·de·sist·ing, adjectiveWords nearby desist
desirable, desire, desired, Desire Under the Elms, desirous, desist, desistance, Desitin, desk, deskbound, desk calendar
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for desist
British Dictionary definitions for desist
desist
/ (dɪˈzɪst) /
verb
(intr often foll by from) to cease, as from an action; stop or abstain
Derived forms of desist
desistance or desistence, nounWord Origin for desist
C15: from Old French desister, from Latin dēsistere to leave off, stand apart, from de- + sistere to stand, halt
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with desist
desist
see cease and desist.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.