The meaning of DETER is to turn aside, discourage, or prevent from acting. How to use deter in a sentence.

By limiting the amount of their own money people can access, they announce that a country is in crisis and deter investment.

DETER meaning: 1 : to cause (someone) to decide not to do something often + from; 2 : to prevent (something) from happening

deter sb from doing sth High prices deter many young people from entering the property market. People said he was foolish to start his own business, but he didn't let that deter him.

Definition of deter verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

To deter someone from doing something means to prevent them from doing it or to persuade them not to do it. During the war, a flood would not have deterred me from going there on foot. …

Oct 4, 2025 · deter (third-person singular simple present deters, present participle deterring, simple past and past participle deterred) (transitive) To prevent something from happening.