desist

American  

[dih-sist, -zist] / dɪˈsɪst, -ˈzɪst /

verb (used without object)

• desists,
  present (3rd person singular)
• desisted,
  past participle,  past
• desisting
  present participle

1. to cease, as from some action or proceeding; stop.

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desist British  

/ dɪˈzɪst /

verb

1. to cease, as from an action; stop or abstain

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desist Idioms  

1. see cease and desist.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• desistance
  noun
• desistence
  noun
• nondesisting
  adjective
• undesisting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• desisting
  present
• desisted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• desist
  simple
• desists
  simple
• have desisted
  perfect
• has desisted
  perfect
• am desisting
  progressive
• are desisting
  progressive
• is desisting
  progressive
• have been desisting
  perfect progressive
• has been desisting
  perfect progressive

Past

• desisted
  simple
• had desisted
  perfect
• was desisting
  progressive
• were desisting
  progressive
• had been desisting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will desist
  simple
• will have desisted
  perfect
• will be desisting
  progressive
• will have been desisting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of desist

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Old French desister, from Latin dēsistere “to leave off,” equivalent to dē- de- + sistere “to stand, place,” akin to stāre “to stand” ( see stand)

Explanation

You can use the verb desist as a way to say "stop" or "cease." Instead of yelling "Cut it out!" the new neighbor asked the tween girls to desist from playing any more loud, screeching music from that long-haired boy-band. If you want to insist that someone stop doing something, the word desist is a solid choice. It's often used as part of a legal order called a "cease and desist," which forces an action to come to a halt. "Cease" is a synonym for desist, so using the two together says "stop it!" loud and clear — and kind of redundantly. While cease often goes hand in hand with it, desist, can also be followed by from in the form another command: "Desist from camping on the lawn of your favorite singer's home so you won't be arrested."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

desist desists desisted desisting

Last month, Dawn Buckingham, who leads the General Land Office, sent a cease and desist letter to CBP and a federal contractor she said had illegally cleared GLO-owned land in Presidio County.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

He was given a cease and desist notice and details about previous court cases which had seen defendants receiving custodial sentences.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

Small is represented by barrister Francis McEntegart, who sent a cease and desist letter to the club with a demand for compensation.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

Hunt told The Times on Friday that she was aware of two individuals who received cease and desist letters from Swalwell’s team.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

One day he lit into Vanguard’s index funds and almost instantly received a cease and desist order from Vanguard’s attorneys.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Discovery were the latest studios to send cease and desists letter to ByteDance on Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

“An honest conversation about coal and its miners needs to be had, and we should neither cease or desists from having it.”

From The Guardian ● Jun. 19, 2017

"I've gotten cease and desists before," he says.

From Time Magazine Archive

He however desists dismayed when, as he is dancing with a witch of seductive loveliness, a red mouse jumps out of her mouth.

From The Faust-Legend and Goethe's 'Faust' by H. B. (Henry Bernard) Cotterill

This evidence of brotherly love stands me off, an' for Tom's sake I desists an' throws Jerry loose.

From Wolfville Nights by Alfred Henry Lewis

Anderson "desisted" when the woman did not say yes and left the bedroom, at which point the complainant heard her vomiting in the bathroom.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026

At first, Gilardo sent admonishing messages, but he soon desisted.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2023

The next week, her lawyer sent a letter to BRIC, saying that unless Zahedi desisted from airing any episodes featuring footage of Field or the children, she would “commence legal action.”

From New York Times ● Oct. 30, 2019

During that time I’d desisted not only from buying a new wallet but even from cancelling or replacing my credit cards and my driver’s license and my health-insurance card.

From The New Yorker ● Jun. 25, 2018

I didn’t need much talking into, but at the last minute, Patria desisted.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

A 2022 study of 317 trans youths discovered that after an average of five years of socially transitioning only 2.5 percent of participants ended up desisting and identifying as cisgender.

From Slate ● May 2, 2023

Promptly desisting from his work, he invited the young pair to seat themselves; and Adela, who was just then stitching at some of her semi-savage contrivances, also rose to offer welcome.

From True and Other Stories by George Parsons Lathrop

She had twined a ridiculous blue ribbon in his russet curls, which he tried to work off whenever he got a chance, desisting only to lick vigorously at her hand.

From Love of Brothers by Katharine Tynan

"Oh—" she cried, desisting, "to think of you, helpless all this time, and in the hands of that woman—!"

From Barnaby A Novel by R. Ramsay

The person on the other side, peering through the opening, had been warned by the same sight of the exposed bare neck, and, desisting from pushing the door wider, was deliberating.

From Murder Point A Tale of Keewatin by Coningsby Dawson

Related Words

• abstain
• cease
• relinquish