Dictionary

deter en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈtɜː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /dɪˈtɜː(ɹ)/ Lancashire, fair–fur merger
• /dɪˈtɛː/ Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger
• /dɪˈtɝ/ (General-American)
• /dɪˈtøː/ (New-Zealand)
• /dɪˈtɛr/ (Scotland)
• (US) audio
• /dɪˈteː/ Liverpool, fair–fur merger

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēterreō (“deter, discourage”), from de (“from”) + terreō (“to frighten”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To prevent something from happening.
2. (transitive) To persuade someone not to do something; to discourage.
   • Such a male-dominated environment is also likely to contribute to the lingering presence of an outdated belief that expressing feelings and demonstrating emotion is a sign of weakness, deterring some men from discussing their problems. 2020 July 1, Paul Stephen, “Vital Connections”, in Rail, page 41:
   • Among the remaining contention points between the two armies is an eastern region called the Depsang Plains. Military analysts said that the Chinese Army was not allowing Indian troops to patrol in that area, even though they have done so for decades. While India’s military is already stretched thin, said Saurav Jha, editor in chief of the Delhi Defense Review, it still needs to keep up a permanent patrol to deter China. 2022 September 9, Sameer Yasir, “2 Years After Deadly Fistfights, India and China Pull Back From Border”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 09 Sep 2022, Asia Pacific:
   • Their boss deterred them from both taking holidays at the same time, claiming he couldn't manage it all on his own.
3. (transitive) To distract someone from something.
   • 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, published 1973, § 10:

Forms

Deriveds

undeterring · nondeterred · deterrer · deterrency · deterrable · determent · deterrability · undeterred

Relateds

deterrent · deterrence

Synonyms

dissuade

Translations (83)

cmn 預防 /预防 (to prevent something from happening) · es prevenir (to prevent something from happening) · ru предотврати́ть (to prevent something from happening) · no avskrekke (to persuade someone not to do something) · de abwenden (to prevent something from happening) · bg разубеждавам (to persuade someone not to do something) · pl zapobiegać (to prevent something from happening) · grc ἀποτρέπω (to persuade someone not to do something) · mi taitu (to persuade someone not to do something) · ja 阻む (to prevent something from happening) · fr dissuader (to persuade someone not to do something) · pl powstrzymać (to persuade someone not to do something) · mi kaiwaenga (to prevent something from happening) · mi whakapāhunu (to prevent something from happening) · eo malkonvinki (to persuade someone not to do something) · sh odgovoriti (to persuade someone not to do something) · sv förhindra (to prevent something from happening) · cmn 防止 (to prevent something from happening) · it prevenire (to prevent something from happening) · ja 抑止する (to persuade someone not to do something) · it scoraggiare (to persuade someone not to do something) · sk odstrašiť (to persuade someone not to do something) · es evitar (to prevent something from happening) · sk odradiť (to persuade someone not to do something) · nl ontmoedigen (to persuade someone not to do something) · pl odstraszyć (to distract someone from something) · fi estellä (to persuade someone not to do something) · ru отгова́ривать (to persuade someone not to do something) · ja 防ぐ (to prevent something from happening) · ro deconsilia (to persuade someone not to do something) · fr empêcher (to prevent something from happening) · ru отговори́ть (to persuade someone not to do something) · bg възпирам (to prevent something from happening) · ro opri (to prevent something from happening) · lt atgrasyti (to persuade someone not to do something) · mi whakapāhunu (to persuade someone not to do something) · fr décourager (to persuade someone not to do something) · sv avstyra (to prevent something from happening) · de beeinträchtigen (to distract someone from something) · pl zapobiec (to prevent something from happening) · ru предотвраща́ть (to prevent something from happening) · sl preprečiti (to prevent something from happening) · ja 阻止する (to prevent something from happening) · de ablenken (to distract someone from something) · ro împiedica (to prevent something from happening) · nl verhinderen (to prevent something from happening) · fi estää (to prevent something from happening) · cs odstrašit (to persuade someone not to do something) · pt desencorajar (to persuade someone not to do something) · hu elrettent (to prevent something from happening) · de abhalten (to persuade someone not to do something) · sv avråda (to persuade someone not to do something) · cs odvrátit (to prevent something from happening) · sh odvratiti (to persuade someone not to do something) · de zurückhalten (to persuade someone not to do something) · ru уде́рживать (to persuade someone not to do something) · pt dissuadir (to persuade someone not to do something) · sv avskräcka (to persuade someone not to do something) · ja 思い止まらせる (to persuade someone not to do something) · cs odradit (to persuade someone not to do something) · pl powstrzymywać (to persuade someone not to do something) · es deterrer (to persuade someone not to do something) · sk odvrátiť (to prevent something from happening) · sh spriječiti (to prevent something from happening) · pl odstraszać (to distract someone from something) · sl odvrniti (to persuade someone not to do something) · ar رَدَعَ (to prevent something from happening) · cmn 阻止 (to prevent something from happening) · ro descuraja (to persuade someone not to do something) · es disuadir (to persuade someone not to do something) · de unterbinden (to prevent something from happening) · no forhindre (to prevent something from happening) · es disuadir (to prevent something from happening) · is hindra (to prevent something from happening) · ru удержа́ть (to persuade someone not to do something) · pt impedir (to prevent something from happening) · de verhindern (to prevent something from happening) · es desalentar (to persuade someone not to do something) · ru разубеди́ть (to persuade someone not to do something) · sh osujetiti (to prevent something from happening) · fi pidätellä (to persuade someone not to do something) · ru разубежда́ть (to persuade someone not to do something) · de abbringen (to persuade someone not to do something)