cease

UK: /ˈsiːs/ US: /sis/ ,(sēs)

Inflections of 'cease' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

ceases

v 3rd person singular

ceasing

v pres p

ceased

v past

ceased

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

cease /sis/   v., ceased, ceas•ing, n. 
v. 

1. to (cause to) stop or discontinue: [no object]
   Hostilities must cease.
   [~ + object]
   We agree to cease hostilities.
   [~ + verb-ing]
   They ceased fighting temporarily.
   [~ + to + verb]
   Her good fortune never ceases to amaze me.

n. [uncountable]

2. stopping;
   cessation:
   The noise went on for hours without cease.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

cease  (sēs), v., ceased, ceas•ing, n. 
v.i. 

1. to stop;
   discontinue:
   Not all medieval beliefs have ceased to exist.
2. to come to an end:
   At last the war has ceased.
3. [Obs.] to pass away;
   die out.

v.t. 

4. to put a stop or end to;
   discontinue:
   He begged them to cease their quarreling.

n. 

5. cessation:
   The noise of the drilling went on for hours without cease.

• Latin cessāre to leave off, equivalent. to cess(us) (past participle of cēdere to withdraw, go; ced- go + -tus past participle suffix) + -ā- thematic vowel + -re infinitive ending; see cede
• Old French cesser
• Middle English ces(s)en 1250–1300

Synonyms

• 2. terminate, end, culminate.

Antonyms

• 1, 2. begin.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

cease / siːs/ verb

1. when tr, may take a gerund or an infinitive as object: to bring or come to an end; desist from; stop

noun

1. without cease ⇒ without stopping; incessantly

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French cesser, from Latin cessāre, frequentative of cēdere to yield, cede