deter

verb
UK: /dɪˈtɜː/
US: /dɪˈtɝː/

  1. To discourage someone from doing something by making them realize it will have bad results.

    1. The high cost of the car did deter me.
    2. I tried to deter him from leaving, but he insisted on going anyway.

  2. To prevent something from happening, especially by making it less attractive.

    1. Strong fences deter thieves, providing increased security.
    2. Hopefully, security cameras will deter vandalism in the neighborhood park.

Synonyms

prevent restrain dissuade inhibit discourage

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "deter" in English means: To discourage someone from doing something by making them realize it will have bad results., To prevent something from happening, especially by making it less attractive..

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

Synonyms for "deter": prevent, restrain, dissuade, inhibit, discourage.

Example usage of "deter": "The high cost of the car did deter me.". More examples on the page.