Meaning & use
deterring
Discouraging someone from doing something, usually by making them afraid of the consequences.
See it in a sentence
Bright security lights are effective at deterring burglars from approaching the house.
Higher fines are one way of deterring drivers from speeding through school zones.
A note on using this word
Deterring is typically followed by 'from' plus a gerund, as in 'deterring people from smoking'.
Words with a similar meaning
discouragingpreventing
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
encouraging
Make it your own
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