Desist

Pronunciation: /dɪˈsɪst/

Definitions of desist

verb to cease or stop doing something

Example Sentences

A1 Please desist from running in the hallway.

A2 The teacher asked the students to desist from talking during the exam.

B1 The company issued a warning to desist from using company resources for personal gain.

B2 The government ordered the protestors to desist from blocking the roads.

C1 The court issued a restraining order to desist the defendant from contacting the victim.

C2 The doctor advised the patient to desist from smoking to improve their health.

Examples of desist in a Sentence

formal The court ordered the defendant to desist from contacting the victim.

informal I told him to desist bothering me with his constant calls.

slang Dude, just desist already. It's getting annoying.

figurative She couldn't desist from eating the delicious cake, despite being on a diet.

Grammatical Forms of desist

• past tense: desisted
• plural: desist
• comparative: more desist
• superlative: most desist
• present tense: desists
• future tense: will desist
• perfect tense: have desisted
• continuous tense: is desisting
• singular: desist
• positive degree: desist
• infinitive: to desist
• gerund: desisting
• participle: desisted

Origin and Evolution of desist

First Known Use: 0015 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'desist' originated from the Latin word 'desistere', which is a combination of 'de-' (away) and 'sistere' (to cause to stand).

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'desist' has retained its original meaning of ceasing or stopping an action, but has also come to be used in legal contexts to refer to formally stopping or refraining from a certain action.