Standard Lemma guide

desist

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • dĭ-sĭst′
  • dĭ-zĭst′
  • /dɪˈsɪst/
  • /dɪˈzɪst/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪst
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S IH1 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: D IH0 Z IH1 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To cease to proceed or act; to stop (often with from).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive, formal

Examples

  • Please desist from telephoning me at this number.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

choose not to consume

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I abstain from alcohol

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abstain, refrain

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: fast, keep off, avoid, teetotal

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French desister, from Latin dēsistō, from dē- + sistō (whence de-).

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: въздържам се — to cease to proceed or act
  • Bulgarian: спирам (spiram) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Catalan: desistir — to cease to proceed or act
  • Chinese: 停止 (zh-min-nan) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Chinese Mandarin: 停止 (tíngzhǐ) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Chinese Mandarin: 終止 /终止 (zhōngzhǐ) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Czech: přestat (s čím) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Czech: ustat (v čem) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Czech: upustit (od čeho) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Dutch: ophouden — to cease to proceed or act
  • Finnish: lakata — to cease to proceed or act
  • Finnish: lopettaa — to cease to proceed or act
  • German: aufhören — to cease to proceed or act
  • Hungarian: eláll — to cease to proceed or act
  • Hungarian: felhagy — to cease to proceed or act
  • Italian: desistere — to cease to proceed or act
  • Japanese: 止める (yameru) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Latin: dēsistō — to cease to proceed or act
  • Māori: kāti — to cease to proceed or act
  • Māori: whakakāti — to cease to proceed or act
  • Māori: whakamutu — to cease to proceed or act
  • Polish: zaprzestać — to cease to proceed or act
  • Portuguese: desistir — to cease to proceed or act
  • Russian: возде́рживаться (vozdérživatʹsja) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Russian: воздержа́ться (vozderžátʹsja) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Russian: прекраща́ть (prekraščátʹ) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Russian: прекрати́ть (prekratítʹ) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Slovak: upustiť — to cease to proceed or act
  • Slovak: zdržať sa — to cease to proceed or act
  • Slovak: prestať — to cease to proceed or act
  • Spanish: desistir [de] — to cease to proceed or act
  • Swedish: avstå — to cease to proceed or act
  • Turkish: vazgeçmek — to cease to proceed or act
  • Ukrainian: утримуватися (utrymuvatysja) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Ukrainian: припиняти (prypynjaty) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Ukrainian: переставати (perestavaty) — to cease to proceed or act
  • Vietnamese: ngừng — to cease to proceed or act
  • Vietnamese: thôi — to cease to proceed or act
  • Vietnamese: nghỉ — to cease to proceed or act
  • Vietnamese: bỏ — to cease to proceed or act
  • Vietnamese: chừa — to cease to proceed or act