desist

American  

[dih-sist, -zist] / dɪˈsɪst, -ˈzɪst /

verb (used without object)

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

---

desist British  

/ dɪˈzɪst /

verb

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

---

desist Idioms  

1. see cease and desist.

---

Other Word Forms

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

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

He tells BBC Newsbeat that he expected to receive a cease and desist letter from the retail giant after describing some of the clothes as "boring" and "tacky PE kit".

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Authorities said the agreement effectively restricted the number of resellers of Apple products on Amazon’s Spanish website and issued a cease and desist order for the companies to amend their contracts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

Paramount’s cease and desist letter was reviewed by The Times and makes similar assertions about ByteDance’s unapproved use of copyrighted material.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

The paediatrician said while some children did follow a medical pathway there were some "who go through two or three years of gender questioning and then desist".

From BBC • Feb. 15, 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

Related Words

• abstain
• cease
• relinquish