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.
They also focus on combat readiness patrols on sea and in the air, seizing "comprehensive" control over adversaries, and deterring aggression beyond the Taiwanese island chain.
From Barron's
For decades, India avoided large-scale construction along much of its border, calculating that the soaring Himalayas and a lack of roads would deter a Chinese incursion.
The overarching goal of any agreement, he said, would be to secure peace and revive the Ukrainian economy while deterring any further acts of aggression.
It helps ranchers identify the owner of a lost or stray animal and has long deterred theft.
“May today’s sentencing deter anyone who seeks to greedily profit off their clients through deceitful practices,” Raia said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
