ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsDdesist
ISEE/SSAThard
desist
Meaning: to stop doing something, especially something ordered or requested to end
desist in a sentence
How desist is used in real sentences:
The judge ordered the company to desist from using the disputed logo.
After several warnings from the referee, the coach finally chose to desist from arguing every single call.
“She told him to desist, baked a small test batch, and watched his argument collapse when he tasted one.”
— from the passage Before Sunrise
“Two cyclists repeatedly crossed the barricade, claiming that dry weather had ended the risk, until Marlow ordered them to desist and documented the fresh stones scattered across their tire marks.”
— from the passage The Juniper Recovery
Synonyms for desist
Other words for desist — cease, halt and refrain — carry the same meaning.
- cease
- halt
- refrain
Antonyms of desist
Words that mean the opposite of desist:
- continue
- persist
Where it comes from
From Latin desistere 'to stand apart, cease'
Word parts
- sist — stand; stand firm
desist: de- (away) + sist (stand)
Memory hook
DE-SIST — DE (away) + SIST (stand) = stand away from doing it.