Synonyms

deter

American

[dih-tur] / dɪˈtɜr /

verb (used with object)

to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding.

The large dog deterred trespassers.
to prevent; check; arrest.

timber treated with creosote to deter rot.
to repel.

Strongly scented marigolds planted among the melons are supposed to deter beetles.

deter British

/ dɪˈtɜː /

verb

(tr) to discourage (from acting) or prevent (from occurring), usually by instilling fear, doubt, or anxiety

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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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.

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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:

deter deters deterred deterring

By combining nature with military technology, Polish forces and their allies hope to deter any Russian threat, as the war in neighbouring Ukraine heads for a fifth year.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

“Please vote against that. That would deter people from voting,” Becerra said, making a thumbs-down gesture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

That might be enough to deter future U.S. attacks.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

Rising unemployment will further deter the RBA from hiking interest rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Trees can also deter destructive creatures like caterpillars by flooding their leaves with tannin, which makes the leaves less tasty and so inclines the caterpillars to look elsewhere.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Not everyone is well-versed in investing for retirement, and that lack of knowledge deters some people from saving for the future at all.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 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

Enforcement deters unlawful entry; integration maximizes contribution and raises the opportunity cost of crime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025

The others have turned pale; let’s hope it deters them.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

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

Perhaps most importantly, they need to learn to not be deterred by immediate losses.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

Despite the threat of strikes, conservatives in Tehran have watched with rising alarm as traffic that was deterred from crossing during the war now ply the U.S.-backed route near Oman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

While the increased assessments needed to meet new standards deterred buyers for a few years, Florida condo statistics from May 2026 indicate the condo market is beginning to recover.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

Mr. van D. turns white, and when she notices it, Mrs. van D. turns red, but she’s not about to be deterred: “The British aren’t doing a thing!”

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

The big monetary guns appear to be deterring currency speculators.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Taiwan began 10 days of military and civil defense exercises on Wednesday to advance its strategy for deterring a potential Chinese invasion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 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

"Even if the actual amount of intervention is not particularly large, the prolonged sense of vigilance regarding intervention will be effective in deterring speculators."

From BBC ● 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