Meaning & use

avast

interjection·Advanced

Last updated

a nautical command meaning 'stop!' or 'cease!'

See it in a sentence

"Avast!" the captain shouted, ordering the crew to halt the ropes.

The story's pirate character couldn't say a line without shouting 'avast, ye scallywags!'

A note on using this word

Avast is a genuine sailing command from centuries past, though today it's mostly familiar from pirate stories and jokes.

Words with a similar meaning

stophalt

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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