deter
Americanverb (used with object)
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deters,
present (3rd person singular)
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deterred,
past participle, past
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deterring
present participle
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to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding.
The large dog deterred trespassers.
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to prevent; check; arrest.
timber treated with creosote to deter rot.
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to repel.
Strongly scented marigolds planted among the melons are supposed to deter beetles.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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determentnoun
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deterrabilitynoun
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deterrernoun
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undeterrabilitynoun
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deterrableadjective
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undeterrableadjective
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undeterringadjective
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undeterrablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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detersimple
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deterssimple
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have deterredperfect
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has deterredperfect
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am deterringprogressive
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are deterringprogressive
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is deterringprogressive
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have been deterringperfect progressive
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has been deterringperfect progressive
Past
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deterredsimple
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had deterredperfect
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was deterringprogressive
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were deterringprogressive
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had been deterringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deter
First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin dēterrēre “to discourage, put off, frighten,” equivalent to dē-, prefix and preposition + terrēre “to frighten, scare”; see de-
Explanation
Deter means to discourage, or literally “to frighten away.” Halloween decorations that are too scary might deter trick-or-treaters, and the risk of being expelled deters kids from cheating in school. Deter comes from the Latin de meaning "away" and terrere meaning "frighten." Something that deters isn’t always scary, though: citronella plants deter mosquitoes, and fines deter people from littering. Teddy Roosevelt's foreign policy dictum "speak softly and carry a big stick" was meant to deter other countries from attacking the United States.
Vocabulary lists containing deter
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
By combining nature with military technology, Polish forces and their allies hope to deter any Russian threat, as the war in neighbouring Ukraine heads for a fifth year.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Please vote against that. That would deter people from voting,” Becerra said, making a thumbs-down gesture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
“We’re not seeing repair inflation fast enough to deter companies from still aiming to grow faster.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
That might be enough to deter future U.S. attacks.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
He is not a prude, or judgmental, but he knows what he wants and lets nothing deter him.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
“And then if I want to maintain that wealth, it deters the decumulation of assets in old age.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
Enforcement deters unlawful entry; integration maximizes contribution and raises the opportunity cost of crime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025
"By greeting genuine shoppers, not only does this provide a positive impression of your store, it also deters potential shoplifters," the force said.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2025
It can foster guilt and create a dependency that discourages, delays and even deters a grandchild from developing an independent life.
From Salon ● May 11, 2025
The others have turned pale; let’s hope it deters them.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
Iran’s attacks have deterred captains from using the route along the Omani coast protected by the Navy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Some older homeowners may be deterred from selling by the tax hit if their property has appreciated significantly in value since they bought it.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
And since the pile-up of injuries hasn’t deterred women from buying the pants, it might just be that fashion victim is the real label of the summer.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
Last Fourth of July, the company’s system deterred more than 20,000 people in the U.S. from booking an entire home listing on Airbnb, according to company spokesperson Ruthie Kongo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
I was trying to rescue Diego—I’d-never seen him so adorably flustered—but my mother was not easily deterred.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Taiwan began 10 days of military and civil defense exercises on Wednesday to advance its strategy for deterring a potential Chinese invasion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
"Even if the actual amount of intervention is not particularly large, the prolonged sense of vigilance regarding intervention will be effective in deterring speculators."
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
However, it said earlier this month that applying the DMA to cloud services risked undermining competitiveness, deterring investment, and weighing on innovation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Airlines expect to carry more passengers this year but earn only half as much profit as in 2025, as high fuel prices don't appear to be fully deterring travel, according to projections published Sunday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026
It can patrol there with its big old horns, deterring burglars and such.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
