deterred

American  

[dih-turd] / dɪˈtɜrd /

adjective

1. discouraged or restrained from acting or proceeding.

   A visible thief is a deterred thief, so installing motion-sensing lights on your property helps to protect it.

2. kept from happening; prevented or checked.

   Assuming that those 79,000 deterred property crimes have an average cost of $1,900 each, that’s a savings of over $150 million.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of deter.

Other Word Forms

• undeterred adjective

Etymology

Origin of deterred

deter ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

“It has deterred further investment. It has stalled projects,” said Art Ortega, chairman and CEO of Freedom Bank, a community bank specializing in small-business loans.

From The Wall Street Journal

Officers potentially wasting thousands of hours in pursuit of car backfires and construction noise mislabeled as gunfire has not deterred the New York Police Department from continuing to use it.

From Salon

Legislation designed to improve the lot of South Africa’s Black majority has also deterred investment.

From The Wall Street Journal

The tumble in gold that saw the yellow metal drop over $1,000 an ounce in just two days hasn’t deterred Wall Street from recommending the metal.

From The Wall Street Journal

The higher cost of living and a longstanding 20% sales tax have deterred regulars.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• barred
• blocked
• closed
• confined
• controlled
• defined
• deprived
• prescribed
• reduced
• restrained
• secured
• shortened
• tethered