Wordwyrt

desist

/dɪˈsɪst/dih-SIST
/dɪˈsɪst/dih-SIST

Meaningto stand off

Common meaning: to stop doing something

‘down, away, off’ + ‘to cause to stand, set’ → desist

Journey through time

  1. Latinsistō, stitī‘to cause to stand, set’
  2. Old Frenchdesistersource
  3. Englishdesist‘to stop doing something’ · today

de- also in: deterdecampdecidededucedefame

sist also in: assistinsistresistconsistpersist

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin sistō ‘to cause to stand, set’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry sistō, p. 1711 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

assistconsistinsistpersistresist

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