Ceased
/siːst/
verbBeginnerCommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
To bring or come to an end.
/siːst/
verbneutralBeginner
General
To stop; to come to an end.
The fighting ceased after a long and brutal war.
💡 Simply: Imagine a busy street, suddenly everything stops – cars, people, noise. That's what 'ceased' means: everything came to a halt.
👶 For kids: Stopped completely.
More Examples
2
He ceased his efforts to persuade her.
How It's Used
General
"The rain ceased, and the sun came out."
Legal
"The court proceedings ceased until further notice."
From Middle English *ceesen, from Old French cesser, from Latin cessare "to stop, be still," from ced-, stem of cedere "to yield, go, give way."
The word 'ceased' has been used consistently throughout English history, maintaining its core meaning of 'stopped' or 'ended'.
Memory tip
Think of 'cease' as 'seas' coming to a stop, as in the waves ceasing.
Practice
ceaseedceesed
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written