deter

[ dih-tur ]

/ dɪˈtɜr /

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See synonyms for: deter / deterred / deterring 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.

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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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-

OTHER WORDS FROM deter

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

[dih-tur-uh-bil-i-tee], /dɪˌtɜr əˈbɪl ɪ ti/, nounde·ter·rer, noun

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use deter in a sentence

Pearce doesn’t know whether or not the hearse deterred people from voting.
Pistols, a Hearse and Trucks Playing Chicken: Why Some Voters Felt Harassed and Intimidated at the Polls|by Adriana Gallardo, Maryam Jameel and Ryan McCarthy|December 4, 2020|ProPublica
Programs that limit access to the web on students’ computers, for example, won’t deter cheating by those who are rich enough to afford a second device.
An argument for giving kids open-book tests during the pandemic (and after)|Valerie Strauss|November 30, 2020|Washington Post
Owens said the current enforcement model arose after the Institute of Medicine concluded in the 1980s that a past approach like the state’s proposal failed to deter repeat violations.
Confirmed Nursing Home Complaints Plummet During Pandemic|Jared Whitlock|August 25, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Lizotte said she thinks it’s possible that these barriers might deter some women from voting.
Women Won The Right To Vote 100 Years Ago. They Didn’t Start Voting Differently From Men Until 1980.|Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux|August 19, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

Fernandez said if the checkpoints didn’t deter people from Imperial, the cannabis industry could have a significant economic impact on the county.
Businesses Say Border Patrol Is Seizing Legal Cannabis Between San Diego, Imperial|Jesse Marx and Maya Srikrishnan|June 29, 2020|Voice of San Diego
The novelty of the thing deters some; the doubt of success, others; the vain hope of reconciliation, many.
The Loyalists of America and Their Times, Vol. 1 of 2|Egerton Ryerson
Among us, instinct deters from it, if we can speak of instinct at all as appertaining to man.
The Right of American Slavery|True Worthy Hoit
Be vague, colourless, and languid, this deters readers from approaching the book.
How to Fail in Literature|Andrew Lang
There is about them a faint aroma of usurpation which deters certain princely families from an alliance with them.
Memoirs of the Duchesse de Dino v.1/3, 1831-1835|Dorothy Duchesse de Dino
That form has been dropped, but the theory is still widely held that punishment deters others than those convicted.
The Criminal & the Community|James Devon

British Dictionary definitions for deter

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 of deter

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

deter

Origin of deter

OTHER WORDS FROM deter

Words related to deter

How to use deter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deter

Derived forms of deter

Word Origin for deter