/desist-synonyms

/desist/

-) Verb.

-) Pronunciation and accent: dɪzɪst.

-) Etymology: from Old French desister, from Latin desistere, from de- + sistere (to stand still, stop). Spanish desistir, Italian desistere and French se désister are from the same origin as English DESIST.

-) Documented since 1500.

-) Intransitively: to cease from action, procedure or intention; to make desistance; to forbear from proceeding with what one has begun.

-) Synonyms for “desist”: stop, leave off, forbear, cease, quit.

-) Antonyms of “desist”: continue, proceed, persist, insist.

-) Translation: désabuser, in French; desengañar, in Spanish; disingannare, in Italian.

He half put his hand out to touch the wall behind him and then desisted, for such effort would assuredly be vain.

C. Williams… The Place of the Lion… 1931

-) With the preposition “from” + a noun or a gerund:

When I first desired to compose an account of the ancient and modern discoveries by sea and land, with their true dates and situations, these two principal circumstances seemed involved in such difficulty and confusion, that I had almost desisted from the attempt.

Robert Kerr… Voyages… 1811

It is related that, in 1424, Don Henry sent a squadron with some land forces, under Don Ferdinando de Castro, on purpose to make a conquest of these islands; but, being repulsed by the bravery of the natives, de Castro prudently desisted from the enterprize and returned home.

Robert Kerr… Voyages… 1811

Arithmetic […] Clery was soon obliged to desist from teaching, because a brutal and stupid municipal officer mistook the multiplication-table for a contrivance to keep up a correspondence and conversation by means of a cypher.

Richard Davenport… Narratives of peril… 1815

This had induced them to desist from their purpose of going to Edinburgh.

Richard Davenport… Narratives of peril… 1815

For a few days Cortes desisted from active operations.

Richard Davenport… Narratives of peril… 1815

A compact was made, by which Francis agreed to desist from opposition.

T. Macaulay… Critical and Historical Essays… 1860

-) Word derived from DESIST: desistance.