Word
deter
Phoneticsde·ter, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈtɝ/
UK/dɪtˈɜː/
Definitions
01to discourage someone
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to make someone decide not to do something by making them understand the risks or problems.
v. to discourage or dissuade someone from an intended course of action by appealing to fear or highlighting potential negative consequences.
“The high price of the tickets might deter some people from coming to the show.”
“The threat of severe legal penalties is intended to deter corporations from ignoring environmental safety regulations.”
Synonyms
02to prevent an action
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to prevent something from happening or to make it less likely to happen.
v. to inhibit or prevent an occurrence by providing a physical or psychological barrier.
“They installed a new alarm system to deter burglars from targeting their home.”
“The presence of a permanent security patrol served to deter vandalism in the park during the overnight hours.”
Antonyms
Usage
The verb is transitive and typically takes a person or group as the direct object, often followed by 'from' + gerund.
Pitfall
deter to do something
deter from doing something
The verb 'deter' is followed by 'from' and a gerund, not an infinitive.
Real-World Examples
“The two low-renters left the young woman’s body on the bedroom floor and her murder did not deter them from circling back with plans to attack their first choice of victim.” “Photograph: Elaine Wong Tonight’s audience isn’t the liveliest and doesn’t seem to know the words for a singalong of the soundtrack, yet Firlit isn’t deterred.” Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *tres- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti Proto-Italic *trozeō Latin terreō Latin dēterreōbor. English deter Borrowed from Latin dēterreō (“deter, discourage”), from de (“from”) + terreō (“I frighten”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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