deter
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
- determent noun
- deterrability noun
- deterrable adjective
- deterrer noun
- undeterrability noun
- undeterrable adjective
- undeterrably adverb
- undeterring adjective
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”; de-
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.
“If oil prices shot up to $100, producers might not be deterred by any of this. With Brent in the high $50s, Venezuelan oil may be far more trouble than it’s worth,” she added.
From Barron's
After talks with Ukraine's allies in Paris, he said the UK and France would "establish military hubs across Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment" to deter future invasion.
From BBC
The rising living costs in China and economic uncertainty also continue to deter childbearing, she added.
From Barron's
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has also announced plans for "significant changes" to the asylum system to deter people from coming to the UK and make it easier to deport them.
From BBC
She thinks the monthly fees might be deterring buyers, who have many condos on the market to choose from.
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.
