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Deter means to discourage someone from doing something, or to prevent something from happening. But it literally means "frighten away," which explains why it looks a bit like terrible, terrify, and terror.
So if you're deterred, you're not doing something--perhaps because you were scared away from it. And if you're undeterred, then you're...
make your point with...
"DETER"
To deter something is to stop it from happening. And to deter people is to stop them from doing something.
Pronunciation:
dih TUR
Part of speech:
Transitive verb.
(Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object.
You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone.
Likewise, you deter something or someone.)
Other forms:
deterred, deterring, undeterred; deterrent (both an adjective and a noun), deterrence (a noun)
How to use it:
Pick "deter" instead of "discourage," "prevent," "hinder," "dissuade," etc. when you need to be formal or when you prefer a short word.
Strictly speaking, we're deterred by dangerous, troublesome, and frightening things: "We kept our distance, deterred by the flames." But today we say that even mildly annoying things deter us: "No threat can deter these kids from pulling out their phones in class;" "She wanted to play in the bouncy castle but was deterred by the long line."
Things can deter people: "The sharp rocks deterred us." Things can deter other things: "Political strife deterred tourism." People can deter things: "Calling for unity, they deterred protests." And people can deter other people: "They deter patients from smoking."
Notice how we often use the phrase "deter someone from doing something:" "The signs are supposed to deter salespeople from ringing our doorbell."
examples:
Once she'd made up her mind to navigate the stairs alone, nothing could deter my fierce little toddler.
In the syllabus, the professor had bolded, then underlined, then highlighted that sentence, a deterrent routinely ignored: "Do the readings, or don't even bother coming to class."
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "deter" means when you can explain it without saying "prevent something bad from happening" or "persuade someone to not do something."
try it out:
Think of something you enjoy that you actually do too much. Fill in the blanks: "(Very little / nothing / only _____) could deter me from (doing a certain thing I love)."
Example: "Only a sharp increase in their price could deter me from buying these delicious Kroger pizzas with the braided crusts."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
This month, we're playing with the original and literal meanings of familiar words. I'll give you three words and their original or literal definitions, and you'll match them up. Easy! But then the following day, see if you can recall those old meanings. Hard! :) Our game has two purposes. One, we'll visit the interesting, thought-provoking old meanings of words. And two, we'll remind ourselves of a powerful learning strategy: delayed recalling. Let's play!
First, try to recall from yesterday the literal meanings of "atmosphere" and "karate" and the original meaning of "menial." Answers appear at the bottom of this issue.
Next, match these words to their original or literal definitions in the answer bank below:
1. "Silly" originally meant _____
2. "Pretend" literally means _____
3. "Awkward" originally meant _____
Answer bank:
A. "in the wrong direction."
B. "worthy" or "holy."
C. "to stretch before."
review today's word:
1. The opposite of DETER is
A. STAMMER
B. ENCOURAGE
C. CIRCUMVENT
2. Teachers reluctant to _____ must rely on other deterrents.
A. assign too much homework
B. hand out detentions
C. give pop quizzes
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes.
Answers to game questions:
1. "Atmosphere" literally means "ball of vapor."
2. "Karate" literally means "empty hand."
3. "Menial" originally meant "related to the household."
Answers to review questions:
1. B
2. B
Deter means to discourage someone from doing something, or to prevent something from happening. But it literally means "frighten away," which explains why it looks a bit like terrible, terrify, and terror.
"DETER" To deter something is to stop it from happening. And to deter people is to stop them from doing something. Part of speech:
Once she'd made up her mind to navigate the stairs alone, nothing could deter my fierce little toddler.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "deter" means when you can explain it without saying "prevent something bad from happening" or "persuade someone to not do something."
Think of something you enjoy that you actually do too much. Fill in the blanks: "(Very little / nothing / only _____) could deter me from (doing a certain thing I love)."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The opposite of DETER is
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
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