deter

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verb de·ter \ di-ˈtər , dē- \

Definition of deter

deterred; deterring

transitive verb

1 :to turn aside, discourage, or prevent from acting

she would not be deterred by threats

2 :inhibit

painting to deter rust

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determent

play \-ˈtər-mənt\ noun

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deterrability

play \-ˌtər-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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deterrable

play \-ˈtər-ə-bəl\ adjective

See deter defined for English-language learners

See deter defined for kids

deter was our Word of the Day on 03/13/2016. Hear the podcast!

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 of deter from the Web

Prosecutor is arguably the most powerful seat in local politics, and the Republicans will be at risk of losing all control of a blue-trending county the moment Deters walks out the door.

— jason williams, Cincinnati.com, "PX: As Joe Deters plans exit strategy, can Republicans keep control in county?," 25 Aug. 2017
That drives up the cost of doing business and deters investment, industry federations have been saying for years.

— samy adghirni, Bloomberg.com, "Brazil Tackles Nightmarish Tax System to Boost Businesses," 22 Aug. 2017
That upheaval deterred most GOP governors in the country from pursuing copycat measures.

— Washington Post, "AP Explains: How the Texas ‘bathroom bill’ keeps faltering," 16 Aug. 2017
In other words, seeing Ulis up close and in person offers hope. Don't allow a lack of height or team success deter you from trying to reach your dreams.

— pat disabato, Daily Southtown, "Disabato: Tyler Ulis' tale about giving back, being loyal to Marian Catholic," 15 Aug. 2017
Outside, on his back lawn, overlooking a lovely estuary, MacWilliams had placed silhouettes of wild beasts to deter Canada geese from landing.

— michael lewis, The Hive, "Why the Scariest Nuclear Threat May Be Coming from Inside the White House," 2 Aug. 2017
State officials stress the effort is not to deter drug users from the program but to help provide treatment for drug users.

— phil galewitz, Kaiser Health News, "Even Without Congress, Trump Can Still Cut Medicaid Enrollment," 28 July 2017
Not to be deterred, the duo attended polo school every day for two weeks.

— elisabeth moughon, The Courier-Journal, "An elegant, nitty-gritty look at the Louisville Polo Club," 27 July 2017
Complex local, state and federal regulations detering investments and create higher costs.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Kay Ivey extols Walmart for U.S. manufacturing roadmap," 26 July 2017

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.

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."

Origin and Etymology of deter

Latin deterrēre, from de- + terrēre to frighten — more at terror

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1547

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deter Synonyms

Synonyms

discourage, dissuade, inhibit

Antonyms

encourage, persuade

Related Words

divert; unsell; repel

Near Antonyms

egg (on), exhort, goad, prod, urge; impel, induce, prompt

DETER Defined for English Language Learners

deter

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verb

Definition of deter for English Language Learners

: to cause (someone) to decide not to do something
: to prevent (something) from happening

DETER Defined for Kids

deter

play

verb de·ter \ di-ˈtər \

Definition of deter for Students

deterred; deterring

1 :to cause (someone) not to do something

Nothing deters a good man from doing what is honorable.
—Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time

2 :to prevent (something) from happening

Painting the metal will deter rust.

Learn More about deter

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for deter Spanish Central: Translation of deter Nglish: Translation of deter for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of deter for Arabic speakers

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deter

Definition of deter

determent

deterrability

deterrable

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deter was our Word of the Day on 03/13/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of deter in a Sentence

Recent Examples of deter from the Web

The Fearful History of deter

Origin and Etymology of deter

deter Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

DETER Defined for English Language Learners

deter

Definition of deter for English Language Learners

DETER Defined for Kids

deter

Definition of deter for Students

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