verb
cease
SEES/siːs/
To stop happening or doing something.
The rain ceases, leaving only droplets hanging from the eave.
Etymology
Latin cedere meant “withdraw” or “yield”; its derivative cessare came to mean “leave off” or “stop.” That shift from withdrawing to discontinuing an action underlies cease.
In context
Viserys hated conflict and made repeated attempts to cease the hostilities between the Blacks and the Greens with many fights and false apologies issued from both sides.
More examples
- The rain finally ceased before dawn.
- They agree to cease all construction work.
- Her generosity never ceases to surprise me.
Forms
cease · ceases · ceased · ceasing
Similar words
- stop
- The usual general term for ending movement or activity.
- discontinue
- Often implies a deliberate decision to end an ongoing practice.