Library / English Dictionary

DETER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: deterred    , deterring   

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Turn away from by persuasion

Example:

Negative campaigning will only dissuade people

Synonyms:

deter; dissuade

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "deter" is one way to...):

advise; counsel; rede (give advice to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "deter"):

talk out of (persuade someone not to do something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence examples:

Sam cannot deter Sue

They deter him to write the letter

Derivation:

determent; deterrence (a communication that makes you afraid to try something)

deterrent (tending to deter)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Try to prevent; show opposition to

Example:

We should discourage this practice among our youth

Synonyms:

deter; discourage

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "deter" is one way to...):

disapprove; reject (deem wrong or inappropriate)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

deterrence (the act or process of discouraging actions or preventing occurrences by instilling fear or doubt or anxiety)

deterrent (something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress)

deterrent (tending to deter)

Credits