EN

Synonyms for desist

  • verb

Most common

cease refrain discontinue forbear surcease swike

All synonyms

Verb

1. Cease

cease, refrain, stop, forbear, discontinue, leave off informal, abstain, quit, stay, get off, give up, give over, have done with, break off, hold, cancel, terminate, drop, end, rest, draw up, belay

Other

surcease, swike

Antonyms

continue, proceed, persist

All antonyms of desist →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

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

    Please desist from telephoning me at this number.

Related words

Is a kind of
end

Forms

Past participle
desisted
e.g. desisted → ceased, refrained, stopped, discontinued…

Example sentences

  • cease Very few countries could cease trading with China.
  • refrain I feel it's preferable to refrain from doing that.
  • forbear I cannot forbear expressing my doubts.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
desistfalling
ceasefalling
refrainsteady
discontinuefalling
forbearsteady
surceasefalling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
end1
4 letters
stop1, stay1, hold1, rest1, drop1, quit1
5 letters
cease1, belay, swike
6 letters
cancel2
7 letters
refrain2, abstain2, forbear
8 letters
surcease2
9 letters
terminate3
11 letters
discontinue4

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (cancel2 = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français
désister
Italiano
desistere