DETERRED Synonyms: 16 Similar and Opposite Words

deterred

verb

past tense of deter

as in dissuaded

to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action we tried to deter him from his crazy scheme, but to no avail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of deterred Yet such acts haven’t deterred the evangelical Christians who make up much of the faithful segment of the MAGA base. — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 Yet, the 19-year-old sophomore from Jacksonville isn’t down or deterred. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026 However, in January 2025, the NIH enacted a stricter registration mandate requiring documentation of citizenship for all NIH campus visitors, which deterred many patients from this option. — Benjamin I. Lee, STAT, 24 Aug. 2026 With tourists starting to be deterred by the frequent heatwaves and soaring prices in the Mediterranean, Lithuania has been growing in popularity as a beach-holiday destination. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 Aug. 2026 The three-run deficit almost proved too much to overcome, but the Royals were not deterred. — Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 Along with surveillance and global risk-reduction initiatives, Washington successfully deterred such attacks with the threat of significant retaliation, including the use of nuclear weapons. — Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Not all are tankers; many operators are still deterred from using the strait because of sporadic Iranian drone attacks. — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 Not one to be deterred, Sinestro founded the Sinestro Corps, which uses the yellow light of fear to power it. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deterred

Verb

Trump may be taking a risk by leaning into this more, though, because Democrats may be dissuaded by his close involvement in the bill.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
This has not dissuaded residents from demanding action from city officials.

— Noah Daly August 2, Idaho Statesman, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of dissuaded

Browse Nearby Words

determining

deterred

deterrence

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Deterred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deterred. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of deterred

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes