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The Fearful History of Deter
The word deter is rooted in fear. It was borrowed into English around the mid-16th century from the Latin verb deterrēre, which in turn was formed by combining de-, meaning "from" or "away," with terrēre, meaning "to frighten." Terrēre is also the source of terror, terrible, and even terrific, which originally meant "very bad" or "frightful." These days, you may be deterred by something that frightens you or by something that simply causes you to think about the difficult or unpleasant consequences of continuing. The word can also mean "to inhibit," as in "painting to deter rust."
Examples of deter in a Sentence
Justin Fox, Time, 1 Dec. 2008
For some species that deter attack by being poisonous, the goal of their physical appearance is not to hide or confuse other forest creatures, but to be noticed.
—Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005
Originally developed to monitor and track cattle, radio frequency identification (RFID) is now the cutting edge in merchandise, parcel, and baggage tracking. It's debuting in stores and libraries across the country as the most effective way to track inventory and deter theft without making consumers feel like they're in a war zone.
—Athan Bezaaitis, PC Magazine, January 2000
None of these tribulations deterred spectators in the least. The ancient Olympics remained immensely popular, the greatest recurring event in antiquity, from 776 b.c. (when Hercules himself was said to have founded them) until a ban on pagan festivals by Christian emperor Theodosius I in the fourth century a.d. ensured their demise—a spectacular thousand-year run.
—Leigh Steinberg, Civilization, June/July 2000
Some potential buyers will be deterred by the price.
Painting the metal will deter rust.
Quartz, 16 Oct. 2024
Even cats are turned off by the scent of coffee grounds, so their presence should help deter feral felines from being destructive to your plants.
—Darcy Lenz, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2024
Apply a layer of mulch, such as straw, around the roots to maintain soil moisture, keep the soil cool, and deter weeds.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2024
The agent then gets access to a live view through the camera and can talk to any potential intruder and either deter the threat or call emergency services.
—Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deter 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Deter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deter. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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deter
verb
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