desist

intransitive-verb
UK: /dɪˈzɪst/
US: /dɪˈzɪst/

  1. To stop doing something, especially something that someone does not want you to do.

    1. The police told the protesters to desist immediately.
    2. The company was ordered to desist from using misleading advertising.

Synonyms

refrain stop forbear abstain cease
desist transitive-verb

  1. To stop yourself from doing something.

    1. I told him to desist touching my things.
    2. She desisted from making any further comments on the sensitive matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "desist" is /dɪˈzɪst/ in British English and /dɪˈzɪst/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "desist": refrain, stop, forbear, abstain, cease.

Example usage of "desist": "The police told the protesters to desist immediately.". More examples on the page.