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

Arguing about facts doesn’t deter outlandish ideas, misinformation or AI hallucination.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The boosted CapEx guidance doesn’t deter investors, with shares up 13% after-hours.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

But that did not deter people - colanders, cereal boxes and pieces of paper were deployed to offer them a glimpse of the partial eclipse safely.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

But even some of the grants slated to fund more traditional human rights projects skirt federal requirements for competitive bidding that are meant to deter waste, fraud and abuse.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

Emily gave Jose a small smile of gratitude, but his interjection didn’t deter Mr. Quisling.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

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

Evidence that the CTA deters real criminals is thin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Only very poor weather deters them from trading, with slightly shorter opening hours in the winter.

From BBC ● May 19, 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

Iran’s attacks have deterred captains from using the route along the Omani coast protected by the Navy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Some older homeowners may be deterred from selling by the tax hit if their property has appreciated significantly in value since they bought it.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

She had wanted to legally change her surname for years, but had been deterred by the cost.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

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

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

“One manicure, coming up,” he announced, and would not be deterred even when she pointed out that he had forgotten to bring cotton balls.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

TAIPEI—Taiwan kicked off 10 days of military and civil defense exercises on Wednesday, advancing its strategy for deterring a Chinese invasion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

The Himars are part of an asymmetric defense strategy aimed at deterring China’s much-larger military from invading.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

Airlines expect to carry more passengers this year but earn only half as much profit as in 2025, as high fuel prices don't appear to be fully deterring travel, according to projections published Sunday.

From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026

Attorneys for Lively said on Thursday that she will continue pursuing damages against Baldoni and other defendants under a California law aimed at deterring retaliatory defamation lawsuits tied to sexual harassment claims.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 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