deter

deter — verb

1. to make someone unwilling to follow through on a plan or action, typically by hi

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to make someone unwilling to follow through on a plan or action, typically by highlighting the difficulties, risks, or unpleasant outcomes that it would bring

例句

The high cost of insurance deterred Quinn from starting his own trucking company.

deter + object + from + -ing

A network of security cameras deters thieves from trying to steal cars in this lot.

同義詞
  • discourage

    more general and slightly less forceful than deter; can describe any loss of confidence

  • dissuade

    more formal; focuses on persuading someone not to act, often through reasoning rather than threats

  • prevent

    stronger — implies actual blockage or stopping rather than making someone unwilling

  • inhibit

    more formal; suggests an internal or psychological restraint rather than an external threat

反義詞
  • encourage

    to give someone the confidence or motivation to do something

  • persuade

    to convince someone to take a course of action

文法句型

deter + person + from + doing something

be deterred + by + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive (be deterred by) when the focus is on the obstacle rather than the person being stopped. The most common syntactic pattern is deter + object + from + verb-ing. This verb is rarely used with a that-clause or a simple infinitive.

常見錯誤

❌The bad weather deterred him to go outside.
✅The bad weather deterred him from going outside.
💡Deter must be followed by from + gerund, not an infinitive.
❌I deterred that he would fail.
✅I deterred him from making a risky investment.
💡Deter takes a person as its object, not a that-clause.