Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Deter
De-ter′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Deterred
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Deterring
.] 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.
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)
- (transitive) To prevent something from happening.
- (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
- 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 10.
Synonyms
- (To persuade someone to not do something): dissuade
Related terms
Translations
to prevent something from happening
|
to persuade someone not to do something
|
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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)
- to detain, stop
- first-person singular personal infinitive of deter
- third-person singular personal infinitive of deter
Conjugation
Conjugation of deter (irregular)
Related terms
Portuguese
Etymology
From Latin dētinēre, present active infinitive of dētineō (“detain”).
Verb
deter (first-person singular present indicative detenho, past participle detido)
Conjugation
Conjugation of the Portuguese -er verb deter