deter

v., -terred, -ter·ring, -ters.

v.tr.
To prevent or discourage from acting, as by means of fear or doubt: "Does negotiated disarmament deter war?" (Edward Teller). See synonyms at dissuade.

v.intr.
To prevent or discourage the occurrence of an action, as by means of fear or doubt: "It's this edge that gives nuclear weapons their power to deter" (Thomas Powers).

[Latin dēterrēre : dē-, de- + terrēre, to frighten.]

determent de·ter'ment n.
deterrable de·ter'ra·ble adj.
deterrer de·ter'rer n.

verb

To persuade (a person) not to do something: discourage, dissuade, divert. Idioms: talk out of. See persuasion/dissuasion.

v

Definition: check, inhibit from action
Antonyms: encourage, instigate, persuade, promote, put on to, stimulate, support, turn on, urge

---

IN BRIEF: Discourage or hinder.

The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me. — Abraham Lincoln.

Tutor's tip: The long "detour" (a roundabout course) would not "deter" (persuade one not to do) the driver from delivering the "detur" (a present of books given to a meritorious undergraduate student) to the winning student.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - afskrække, afholde, forhindre
v. intr. - afskrække

Nederlands (Dutch)
afschrikken

Français (French)
v. tr. - détourner de, dissuader/empêcher (de faire), (Mil) prévenir (une attaque), dissuader (l'ennemi)
v. intr. - dissuader/empêcher (de faire qch)

Deutsch (German)
v. - abschrecken

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - αποτρέπω, σταματώ, εμποδίζω

Italiano (Italian)
scoraggiare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - deter

Русский (Russian)
помешать, запугивать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - desalentar, disuadir, refrenar
v. intr. - desalentar, descorazonar atemorizando

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - avskräcka

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
制止, 威慑, 使断念, 断念

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 制止, 威懾, 使斷念
v. intr. - 斷念

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 포기하게 하다, (못하게) 하다
v. intr. - 포기하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - やめさせる, 思いとどまらせる, 防ぐ, 妨げる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يردع, يمنع‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮הרתיע, עצר בעד, ריפה ידיים‬
v. intr. - ‮ריפה ידיים או מנע פעולה ע"י הטלת פחד או ספקות‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.