Dehorted

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To strongly discourage someone from taking a specific action or course of action; to advise against pursuing a particular path or decision; to express disapproval and urge someone not to engage in a certain behavior or choice
2. To actively recommend against a course of action that may lead to undesirable consequences; to encourage someone to reconsider their intentions by highlighting potential drawbacks; to use persuasive means to prevent someone from proceeding with a plan
3. To counsel against making a decision that could be harmful or unwise; to suggest alternatives by emphasizing the risks involved; to instill doubt about the appropriateness of a specific action or endeavor

Etymology: "Dehorted" is the past tense of "dehort," a verb that turns up mostly in older and formal writing. It comes from Latin "dehortari," meaning "to deter, dissuade," built from "de-," a prefix signalling reversal or undoing, and "hortari," "to encourage, exhort, urge." The English word therefore runs in reverse: where "exhort" pushes someone forward, "dehort" pulls them back. The Latin "hortari" is itself rooted in an older Indo-European base connected to yearning or longing, so the verb carries a faint sense of spurring someone toward something. Taking that spur away is exactly what "dehort" does. English writers borrowed the verb directly from Latin's "dehortari" and kept its opposing pair of forces intact.

Synonyms: discouraged, deterred, dissuaded, warned, prevented

Antonyms: encouraged, urged, motivated, inspired, prompted