Definition of DETER

Other Words from deter

determent \-ˈtər-mənt

\ noun

deterrability \-ˌtər-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

deterrable \-ˈtər-ə-bəl

\ adjective

Synonyms & Antonyms for deter

Synonyms

Antonyms

The Fearful History of Deter

The word deter is rooted in fear. It was borrowed into English around the mid-16th century from the Latin verb deterrēre, which in turn was formed by combining de-, meaning "from" or "away," with terrēre, meaning "to frighten." Terrēre is also the source of terror, terrible, and even terrific, which originally meant "very bad" or "frightful." These days, you may be deterred by something that frightens you or by something that simply causes you to think about the difficult or unpleasant consequences of continuing. The word can also mean "to inhibit," as in "painting to deter rust."

Examples of deter in a Sentence

Rick Wagoner, CEO of General Motors, the automaker in most imminent danger of failure, gave lawmakers three reasons Chapter 11 isn't an option. First, the special financing that usually tides companies over through reorganization is so scarce right now that GM might not be able to get enough to keep functioning. Second, the stigma of bankruptcy would deter consumers from buying GM cars. Third, GM is already in the midst of a dramatic reorganization that will pave the way to a profitable future. — Justin Fox, Time, 1 Dec. 2008 For some species that deter attack by being poisonous, the goal of their physical appearance is not to hide or confuse other forest creatures, but to be noticed. — Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005 Originally developed to monitor and track cattle, radio frequency identification (RFID) is now the cutting edge in merchandise, parcel, and baggage tracking. It's debuting in stores and libraries across the country as the most effective way to track inventory and deter theft without making consumers feel like they're in a war zone. — Athan Bezaaitis, PC Magazine, January 2000 None of these tribulations deterred spectators in the least. The ancient Olympics remained immensely popular, the greatest recurring event in antiquity, from 776 b.c. (when Hercules himself was said to have founded them) until a ban on pagan festivals by Christian emperor Theodosius I in the fourth century a.d. ensured their demise—a spectacular thousand-year run. — Leigh Steinberg, Civilization, June/July 2000 Some potential buyers will be deterred by the price. Painting the metal will deter rust.

Recent Examples on the Web

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un had his half-brother murdered at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2017, but that didn’t deter President Trump from opening talks with Pyongyang or raising the possibility of sanctions relief. — Gary Schmitt, WSJ, "The Russians And Saudis Look Guilty By Design," 8 Nov. 2018 There’s some intense infrastructure work going on in downtown Birmingham this spring, but that’s not deterring the organizers of ART BIRMINGHAM, a Mother’s Day weekend tradition in the city since the early 1980s. — Greg Crawford, Detroit Free Press, "Plan your weekend: Art Birmingham, CCS student exhibit, 'Company' at the Ringwald," 9 May 2018 Top quarterback: Jameis Winston, Florida State Mayock questioned Winston’s issues both on and off the field, but that didn’t deter him from being considered the No. 1 quarterback in his mock draft. — cleveland.com, "NFL Draft 2018: Mike Mayock's 10-year track record rating quarterbacks," 24 Apr. 2018 Meanwhile, the drip-drip of revelations will continue to dent the image of the GRU, but not deter it from unsavory actions, experts said. — Angela Charlton, The Seattle Times, "New blow to GRU: More Russian military spies exposed," 26 Oct. 2018 Votel did not say how many Afghan troops have been killed this year but noted that Afghan officials have said the casualties will not deter them. — Robert Burns, Fox News, "American general says Afghan battlefield losses are rising," 4 Oct. 2018 Most shoppers understand that used furniture usually has minor issues, and this shouldn't deter them from moving forward with a purchase. — Monique Valeris, ELLE Decor, "An Expert's Top Advice for Selling Furniture Online," 13 Sep. 2018 And if a student makes it through that gauntlet of perils, high-stakes end-of-course exams are waiting to deter them from graduating. — Valerie Strauss, Washington Post, "TEACHING FOR BLACK LIVES," 10 July 2018 The organizers released a statement saying the city’s ban would not deter them from marching peacefully. — NBC News, "Turkish police disperse LGBTI activists holding banned march," 2 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.