# desist

> English word · Verb · IPA /dɪˈsɪst/ · frequency rank #27,120

## Definitions
1. To cease to proceed or act; to stop (often with from).

## Etymology
From Middle French desister.

## Easily confused with
- **dist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desist-vs-dist)
- **desks** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desist-vs-desks)
- **devise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desist-vs-devise)
- **Dewitt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desist-vs-dewitt)
- **detest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desist-vs-detest)
- **despot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desist-vs-despot)
- **despise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desist-vs-despise)
- **Desi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desi-vs-desist)
- **debit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/debit-vs-desist)
- **Denis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/denis-vs-desist)
- **design** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/design-vs-desist)
- **desire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desire-vs-desist)
- **desert** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desert-vs-desist)
- **demise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/demise-vs-desist)
- **Denise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/denise-vs-desist)
- **depict** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/depict-vs-desist)
- **dentist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dentist-vs-desist)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ddesist`, `deisst`, `desisst`, `desistt`, `desits`, `dessist`, `dessit`, `dseist`, `edsist`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/desist