deter

[dih-tur]

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.

Origin of deter

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

Related formsde·ter·ment, nounde·ter·ra·ble, adjectivede·ter·ra·bil·i·ty, nounde·ter·rer, nounun·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. 2018

Related Words for undeterred

fearless, indomitable, steadfast, undeterred, audacious, courageous, dauntless, gallant, icy, intrepid, resolute, spunky, unafraid, unfaltering, unflinching, valiant, valorous, unalarmed, undiscouraged, undismayed

Examples from the Web for undeterred

Contemporary Examples of undeterred

Undeterred by the snub in November, and denied a visa to Italy, Agca made plans for clandestine travel to Vatican City.
Pope-Shooter Ali Agca’s Very Weird Vatican Visit
Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 29, 2014
His acolytes, some of whom refer to themselves as “health freedom fighters” are undeterred by this sort of jealous shoptalk.
Honey Boo Boo, Snake Oil, and Ebola: The Weird World of Young Living Essential Oils
Kent Sepkowitz
December 5, 2014
The pilot, who had flown the short route countless times, was undeterred.
Frank Sinatra and the Birth of the Jet Set
William Stadiem
August 2, 2014
Undeterred, Wanda and Ida press on along a road of hostility and dissimulation that will lead to the harrowing end of their quest.
Holocaust Horrors Haunt the Films ‘Ida’ And ‘The German Doctor’
Jack Schwartz
May 12, 2014
But Brown was undeterred by the defeat and has quickly gotten back on the horse.
This Is Scott Brown’s Granite State Of Whatever
Olivia Nuzzi
March 25, 2014

Historical Examples of undeterred

But she continued, undeterred: "You are a coward—a pitiful coward," she told him.
Mistress Wilding
Rafael Sabatini
Undeterred by his failure, de Spain held his ground as long as he dared.
Nan of Music Mountain
Frank H. Spearman
But the chief priests and scribes and elders of the people were undeterred.
Jesus the Christ
James Edward Talmage
Undeterred by any sense of delicacy, Quin pushed open the door and bolted in.
Quin
Alice Hegan Rice
Undeterred by this, the Moana let go and followed with the same result.
A Son Of The Sun
Jack London

British Dictionary definitions for undeterred

undeterred

adjective

not discouraged or dissuaded

deter

verb -ters, -terring or -terred

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

Derived Formsdeterment, 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

Word Origin and History for undeterred

adj.

c.1600, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of deter.

deter

1570s, from Latin deterrere "to frighten from, discourage from," from de- "away" (see de-) + terrere "frighten" (see terrible). Deterrent is from 1829.