desist

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /dɪˈsɪst/ UK /dɪˈzɪst/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to cease or stop doing something

The court ordered the company to desist from misleading advertising.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to cease or stop doing... cease stop halt quit refrain abstain forbear

Opposites

continue persist proceed resume

Word family

Derived forms desistancedesistment

Related forms resist insist consist assist

Simplified etymology

Desist entered English in the late Middle English period. It belongs to the Latin family of sistere, “to set, stand still, or stop,” and is explained as “stand down” or “stop.”

Etymology

From Old French desister, from Latin desistere ('to leave off, stand away'), from de- ('away') + sistere ('to stand, stop').

desistere Latin sistere Latin *steh₂- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# desist

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈsɪst/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈzɪst/

## Meanings
1. to cease or stop doing something

## Examples
- The court ordered the company to desist from misleading advertising.

## Synonyms
- cease
- stop
- halt
- quit
- refrain
- abstain
- forbear

## Antonyms
- continue
- persist
- proceed
- resume

## Derived Forms
- desistance
- desistment

## Related Forms
- resist
- insist
- consist
- assist

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: desistere
- Root: sistere
- Root: *steh₂-

## Etymology
From Old French desister, from Latin desistere ('to leave off, stand away'), from de- ('away') + sistere ('to stand, stop').

## AI Etymology
Desist is from Old French desister, from Latin desistere ('to leave off, stand away'), from de- ('away') + sistere ('to stand, stop'). In present-day use, it means to cease or stop doing something. Derived formations include desistance and desistment. Related vocabulary includes resist, insist, consist, and assist.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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