surcease

1 of 2

verb

surceased; surceasing

intransitive verb

: to desist from action
also : to come to an end : cease

transitive verb

: to put an end to : discontinue

surcease

2 of 2

noun

: cessation
especially : a temporary respite or end
to borrow from my books surcease of sorrow E. A. Poe

Examples of surcease in a Sentence

Noun hoping the new medicine would bring surcease to his pain
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Terrible transgressions lead to worse ones, with no prospect of surcease, let alone moral regeneration. WSJ, 14 Feb. 2019 Anyone seeking temporary surcease from the rigors of the present moment will find it in abundance here. Terry Teachout, WSJ, 20 July 2017

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English sursesen, surcesen, from Anglo-French surceser, alteration of surseer, surseoir, from Latin supersedēre — more at supersede

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of surcease was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near surcease

Cite this Entry

“Surcease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surcease. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

surcease

noun
sur·​cease
ˈsər-ˌsēs,
(ˌ)sər-ˈsēs
: a stopping of action
especially : a temporary halt

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