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Definition of cease

cease

/siːs/
cease
Adverb:ceaselessly
•
Adjective:ceaseless
•
Past Simple:ceased
•
Past Participle:ceased
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Present Participle:ceasing
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cease Lexical Profile

cease Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To come or bring to an end; to stop happening, existing, or performing an activity.

Example

"The factory will cease operations at the end of the fiscal year."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for cease
Antonyms
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• noun

1

A stopping or cessation of an action or state (now used chiefly in the phrase 'without cease').

Example

"The rescue crews worked without cease throughout the night to clear the blocked mountain road."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for cease
Antonyms
View all antonyms for cease

Word Nuance & Usage

Do not confuse 'cease' (to stop) with the near-homophone 'seize' (to take hold of suddenly and forcibly). As a noun, 'cease' is almost exclusively restricted to the fixed prepositional phrase 'without cease'.

• Rhymes for cease

• Nearby Words

cayenne
caymans
ceanothus
cease
ceasefire
ceaseless
ceaselessly

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in Middle English from Old French 'cesser', which derives from Latin 'cessare' (to delay, hold back, or stop), a frequentative form of 'cedere' (to yield or withdraw).

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Cease. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/cease
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