deter
verb (used with object)
to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding.
have deterred
-
present perfectof deter.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
The bazooka was designed as a deterrent—and it seems to have deterred.
From Slate ● Jan. 23, 2026
High home prices and mortgage rates have deterred buyers, and homeowners have been reluctant to give up low mortgage rates by moving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
Reynolds' lobby group had argued that the "enhanced tier" - the strictest level of scrutiny - would have deterred investment from China and generated bad publicity.
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2025
But neither American military action nor the threat of a terrorist designation have deterred the Houthis.
From New York Times ● Feb. 16, 2024
The night was uncommonly dark, and a pestilential blast blew from the plain of Catoul, that would have deterred any other traveller, however urgent the call: but Carathis enjoyed most whatever filled others with dread.
From Shorter Novels, Eighteenth Century The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia; The Castle of Otranto, a Gothic Story; Vathek, an Arabian Tale by William Beckford
