desist

IPA/dɪˈzɪst/
KK[dɪsˈɪst]IPA/dɪˈzɪst/

desist — verb

  • desistpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • desistshe / she / it
  • desistedpast simple
  • desisting-ing form

1. to formally stop an action or behaviour, usually because another person or an au

1.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to formally stop an action or behaviour, usually because another person or an authority has demanded it

Example

The council ordered the landlord to desist from harassing his tenants.

desist from + -ing form

After three warnings, Bao finally desisted and put away his phone.

Common collocations
  • cease and desist
  • ordered to desist
  • refused to desist
Synonyms
  • stop

    general and neutral; much more common in everyday speech

  • cease

    equally formal; often paired with 'desist' in the legal phrase 'cease and desist'

  • refrain

    implies self-restraint rather than stopping because someone told you to

Antonyms
  • continue

    to keep doing something rather than stopping

  • persist

    to continue despite being asked or ordered to stop

Grammar Patterns

desist from + noun/-ing

Usage Note

Almost always intransitive and followed by 'from' + noun or -ing form to name the stopped action. Most often used in formal and legal contexts, especially in the set phrase 'cease and desist.'

Common Mistakes

He desisted to smoke.
He desisted from smoking.
'desist' takes 'from' + -ing, not an infinitive.
She desisted the project.
She desisted from the project.
'desist' is intransitive; use 'from' to name what you stop.

Word family

  • desistance
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These words all mean to end an action, but they differ in register and context. 'Stop' is the everyday word used in all situations. 'Cease' is formal, like 'desist', and the two often appear together in the legal phrase 'cease and desist.' 'Refrain' focuses on self-control — you refrain from doing something tempting or impulsive, while 'desist' implies stopping because of external pressure. 'Halt' suggests an abrupt or decisive stop, often of movement or progress, while 'desist' is about stopping an activity or behaviour. A police officer might shout 'Halt!' to stop a running suspect, but a lawyer would write a letter demanding that the journalist desist from publishing private photos.

stop ↗cease ↗refrainhalt ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • cease and desist
  • ordered to desist
  • refused to desist

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From Latin 'desistere' (to leave off, cease, stand aside), formed from 'de-' (down from, away) and 'sistere' (to cause to stand, to stop). The word entered English through Old French 'desister' in the 15th century. Today it survives most prominently in the legal phrase 'cease and desist,' which pairs it with its close synonym 'cease' for emphatic effect.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined above