deterrent
Other forms: deterrents; deterrently
A deterrent makes you not want to do something. Let's say there's a giant pile of cookies being guarded by an angry dog — the dog is a deterrent.
People talk about deterrents most often when discussing crime. The death penalty is supposed to be a deterrent — the idea is that people will be so scared of the death penalty that they won't commit certain crimes. Jail is another deterrent. Teachers also use deterrents — the possibility of getting detention is a deterrent that should encourage students to behave. A deterrent is the opposite of a reward. A reward encourages you to do the right thing, while a deterrent discourages you from doing the wrong thing.
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something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress
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synonyms:
balk, baulk, check, handicap, hinderance, hindrance, impediment
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types:
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albatross, millstone
(figurative) something that hinders or handicaps
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bind
something that hinders as if with bonds
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diriment impediment
(canon law) an impediment that invalidates a marriage (such as the existence of a prior marriage)
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drag
something that slows or delays progress
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obstacle, obstruction
something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
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straitjacket
anything immaterial that severely hinders or confines
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barrier, roadblock
any condition that makes it difficult to make progress or to achieve an objective
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hang-up, hitch, rub, snag
an unforeseen obstacle
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hurdle
an obstacle that you are expected to overcome
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stymie, stymy
a thwarting and distressing situation
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type of:
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difficulty
a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result
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tending to deter“the deterrent effects of high prices”
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Synonyms:
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preventative, preventive
tending to prevent or hinder
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preventative, preventive
/dɪˈtərɪnt/
/dɪˈtərənt/
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Copy citationVocabulary lists containing deterrent
In the Kingdom of Mangkon, twelve-year-old Sodsai Mudawan lies about her family's background so that she could have a chance at a bright future.
This list of intermediate words features a mixture of easier and more difficult words that you may be less familiar with. Study these words and watch your GRE score grow.
Noor and Sal — two Pakistani American teenagers living in a small town — are falling in love as they struggle with difficult family issues.
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