deter
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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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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.
They are trying to reassure shoppers and visitors that the city centre is safe, and deter groups of children from coming to town to cause trouble.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
"We seek to deter and stand ready to take actions, where necessary, against economic coercion," they added.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
The father-son reckoning, long postponed, can’t deter the play’s tragic course.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Some see the Manus case as a way for Beijing to deter other Chinese entrepreneurs considering an overseas move.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
This estimate was very roughly corroborated two decades later by the Marquis de Denonville, governor of New France, who destroyed the annual harvest of four adjacent Haudenosaunee villages to deter future attacks.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
