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Synonyms

deterred

American  
[dih-turd] / dɪˈtɜrd /

adjective

  1. discouraged or restrained from acting or proceeding.

    A visible thief is a deterred thief, so installing motion-sensing lights on your property helps to protect it.

  2. kept from happening; prevented or checked.

    Assuming that those 79,000 deterred property crimes have an average cost of $1,900 each, that’s a savings of over $150 million.

verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of deter.

Other Word Forms

  • undeterred adjective

Etymology

Origin of deterred

deter ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

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.

It’s the legacy of the founder, who refused to be deterred by naysayers or obstacles to growth, said Saavedra’s son.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

"That pressure never silenced him nor deterred him, he continued to stand firm for his constituents and his principles."

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

But CEO Mark Zuckerberg isn’t likely to be deterred from his AI push, so investors have to hope its next model is a hit.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

KB Home shares were under pressure on Wednesday after the company said it’s already seeing prospective buyers deterred by the war in Iran as the Los Angeles home builder cut its full-year guidance.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

Not to be deterred, he used himself as a specimen, just like Jenny, and made observations.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

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.