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Webster 1913 Edition


Deter

De-ter′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Deterred
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Deterring
.]
[L.
deterrere
;
de
+
terrere
to frighten, terrify. See
Terror
.]
To prevent by fear; hence, to hinder or prevent from action by fear of consequences, or difficulty, risk, etc.
Addison.
Potent enemies tempt and
deter
us from our duty.
Tillotson.
My own face
deters
me from my glass.
Prior.

Webster 1828 Edition


Deter

DETER

,
Verb.
T.
[L., to frighten.]
1.
To discourage and stop by fear; to stop or prevent from acting or proceeding, by danger, difficulty or other consideration which disheartens, or countervails the motive for an act. We are often deterred from out duty by trivial difficulties. The state of the road or a cloudy sky may deter a man from undertaking a journey.
A million of frustrated hopes will not deter us from new experiments.
2.
To prevent by prohibition or danger.

Definition 2024


deter

deter

English

Verb

deter (third-person singular simple present deters, present participle deterring, simple past and past participle deterred)

  1. (transitive) To prevent something from happening.
  2. (transitive) To persuade someone not to do something; to discourage.
    • 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 10.
      we have in following enquiry, attempted to throw some light upon subjects, from which uncertainty has hitherto deterred the wise

Synonyms

  • (To persuade someone to not do something): dissuade

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams


Galician

Etymology

From Latin dētinēre, present active infinitive of dētineō (detain).

Verb

deter (first-person singular present deteño, first-person singular preterite detiven, past participle detido)

  1. to detain, stop
  2. first-person singular personal infinitive of deter
  3. third-person singular personal infinitive of deter

Conjugation

Related terms


Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin dētinēre, present active infinitive of dētineō (detain).

Verb

deter (first-person singular present indicative detenho, past participle detido)

  1. to stop, arrest, detain, restrain
  2. to deter
  3. to withhold

Conjugation