Synonyms of desist

23 similar words · 4 opposite words

Another word for desist is rest. Other synonyms of desist are cease, hold, surcease, stop and stay. The opposite of desist is continue.

Synonyms and similar words for desist

belay
break off
ceaseTo stop.
cheese it slangAn imperative used as a warning to stop, hide, or flee.
come to an endTo stop; to cease; to no longer continue.
discontinue
forbear
give upTo admit defeat, capitulate; to desist for that reason.
halt
have done with
holdNot to move; to halt; to stop.
leave offTo desist; to cease.
let upTo cease or stop.
restTo cease from action, motion, work, or performance of any kind; stop; desist; be without motion.
stanch
staunch
stay
stop
surceaseTo come to an end; to desist.
terminate
absist obsoleteTo stand apart from; to leave off; to desist.
blin archaic, dialectalTo cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up.
cess obsolete

What is another word for desist?: Desist has 23 synonyms on Word.ws, such as rest, cease, hold, surcease, stop and stay.
What is the opposite of desist?: The opposite of desist is continue.
What does desist mean?: Desist means to cease to proceed or act; to stop (often with from).

Adapted from Wiktionary: desist (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “Synonyms of desist.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/desist. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.