deter

[ dih-tur ]

/ dɪˈtɜr /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR deter ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), de·terred, de·ter·ring.

to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding: The large dog deterred trespassers.

to prevent; check; arrest: timber treated with creosote to deter rot.

Nearby words

detent, detention, detention camp, detention centre, detention home, deter, deterge, detergency, detergent, deteriorate, deterioration

Origin of deter

1570–80; < Latin dēterrēre to prevent, hinder, equivalent to dē- de- + terrēre to frighten

Related forms

de·ter·ment, nounde·ter·ra·ble, adjectivede·ter·ra·bil·i·ty, nounde·ter·rer, noun

un·de·ter·ra·bil·i·ty, nounun·de·ter·ra·ble, adjectiveun·de·ter·ra·bly, adverbun·de·terred, adjectiveun·de·ter·ring, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for deterring

Your effect in deterring others to travel without proper consideration would be hugely significant.
An Ex-Radical's Open Letter to ISIS Fighters: Quit Now While You Can!|Maajid Nawaz|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This can be a helpful guide to other nations in deterring ISIS from recruiting.
It'll Take More Than Bombs to Stop ISIS|Dean Obeidallah|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Political drift is deterring foreign investors and frightening off overseas business.
One Year Later, Libya’s Long Road Continues|Jamie Dettmer|October 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He said deterring Hamas anew would require “massive air strikes for some days.”
Israel Is Losing|Dan Ephron|March 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Deterring Hamas anew would require “massive air strikes for some days.”
Israel Is Losing|Dan Ephron|March 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The punishment of those who have transgressed the laws of the country, and the deterring others from crime; 2d.
Elizabeth Fry|Mrs. E. R. Pitman
But why should I waste arguments in deterring thee from thy inevitable fate?
The Pirate|Sir Walter Scott
Such a consideration would, however, have had no effect for deterring Samson from employing them.
Story of the Bible Animals|J. G. Wood
The advantages of the system thus established, were considered to be—1st, Its deterring effects.
About London|J. Ewing Ritchie
Rumors of peonage, and a few actual cases, had also a deterring effect.
The Southern South|Albert Bushnell Hart

British Dictionary definitions for deterring

deter

/ (dɪˈtɜː) /

verb -ters, -terring or -terred

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

Derived Forms

determent, noun

Word Origin for deter

C16: from Latin dēterrēre, from de- + terrēre to frighten

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