deter
Americanverb (used with object)
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deters,
present (3rd person singular)
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deterred,
past participle, past
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deterring
present participle
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to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding.
The large dog deterred trespassers.
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to prevent; check; arrest.
timber treated with creosote to deter rot.
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to repel.
Strongly scented marigolds planted among the melons are supposed to deter beetles.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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determentnoun
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deterrabilitynoun
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deterrernoun
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undeterrabilitynoun
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deterrableadjective
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undeterrableadjective
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undeterringadjective
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undeterrablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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detersimple
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deterssimple
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have deterredperfect
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has deterredperfect
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am deterringprogressive
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are deterringprogressive
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is deterringprogressive
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have been deterringperfect progressive
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has been deterringperfect progressive
Past
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deterredsimple
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had deterredperfect
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was deterringprogressive
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were deterringprogressive
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had been deterringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deter
First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin dēterrēre “to discourage, put off, frighten,” equivalent to dē-, prefix and preposition + terrēre “to frighten, scare”; see de-
Explanation
Deter means to discourage, or literally “to frighten away.” Halloween decorations that are too scary might deter trick-or-treaters, and the risk of being expelled deters kids from cheating in school. Deter comes from the Latin de meaning "away" and terrere meaning "frighten." Something that deters isn’t always scary, though: citronella plants deter mosquitoes, and fines deter people from littering. Teddy Roosevelt's foreign policy dictum "speak softly and carry a big stick" was meant to deter other countries from attacking the United States.
Vocabulary lists containing deter
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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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:
“A substantial custodial sentence is necessary to deter other private clients from attempting to corrupt law-enforcement officers by paying them to perform acts they could never lawfully accomplish themselves,” Assistant U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
Federal regulations require trading venues to meet stringent standards to deter manipulation and abusive trading practices, ensure orderly and transparent trading, prevent conflicts of interest and safeguard customer funds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
In the wake of the Carruthers debacle, substantial questions were raised about Fowler’s ethics and competence, but they did not deter Tennessee from calling on him again.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
"I don't know how many people it'll actually deter," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Seize that chance and let no power on earth deter you.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
That’s what “nuclear deterrence” is all about; the possession of nuclear weapons deters others from behaving aggressively.
From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026
I think some of that deters people from coming to downtown even if you have a cool place and a cool party,” Origin’s co-founder Roni Mehrabian said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Only very poor weather deters them from trading, with slightly shorter opening hours in the winter.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
“And then if I want to maintain that wealth, it deters the decumulation of assets in old age.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
The others have turned pale; let’s hope it deters them.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
The intruder might have been deterred by the couple’s two dogs — except that neither canine acted like a traditional guard dog.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Rupar told Salon that he won’t be deterred “from the unvarnished coverage of Trumpworld I’ve been doing since 2016.”
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
But some analysts have reacted with scepticism, including questioning whether the deal would address long-running obstacles that have deterred investment in Venezuela's oil industry.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Deivid knew that climbing into the rubble would put his sons at risk, but they would not be deterred from searching for their missing family members.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The few times I’d wished I could walk in one direction for as long as I wanted, the threat of those rattlesnakes deterred me.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
That begs the question of why they were performed, other than raw intimidation, deterring would-be whistleblowers, and punishing the disloyal.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
With China at the forefront, coast guards are evolving into tools for projecting power in the Western Pacific, marking territory and deterring rivals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The big monetary guns appear to be deterring currency speculators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The yen has been sliding despite previous interventions and comments by Katayama that Japan was ready to act, remarks aimed at deterring investors from betting on the currency sliding further.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
It can patrol there with its big old horns, deterring burglars and such.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
