# boycott

/ˈbɔɪˌkɑt/ (US) · /bˈɔɪkɒt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/boycott
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to protest by refusing to buy

verb · CEFR B2

to refuse to buy something or take part in an activity to show that you disagree with a company or government.

For teachers: to abstain from using, buying, or dealing with an organisation or country as an expression of protest. Transitive; requires a direct object representing the entity being avoided.

- Many people decided to boycott the clothing brand after learning about its poor factory conditions.
- Environmental activists urged the public to boycott the energy conglomerate until it committed to a verifiable carbon-reduction strategy.

Usage: Always used with a direct object; you boycott a company, a product, or an event.

### 2. an organised protest

noun · CEFR B2

an organised effort where people stop buying or using something to force a change.

For teachers: the act or an instance of boycotting a particular entity or product. Countable; often used with the definite article or in the plural.

- The bus boycott lasted for over a year and eventually led to a change in the law.
- The international boycott of the regime's exports significantly weakened its economic standing and forced a return to the negotiating table.

Teaching tip: Remind students that the word comes from Captain Boycott, a 19th-century land agent who was the first famous target of this tactic.

## Examples

- The students started a boycott of the cafeteria to protest high prices.
- The international community organized a trade boycott against the regime to demand an end to human rights violations.
- Historical analysis suggests that the effectiveness of a consumer boycott depends heavily on the availability of alternative products and the sustained commitment of the participating public.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.