verb
boycott
BOY-kot
verb
1
To refuse to buy from, deal with, or take part in something, as a form of protest.
"Consumers began to boycott the brand after the scandal broke."
"The union urged members to boycott the company's products."
noun
1
An organized refusal to engage with a person, business, or organization as a protest.
"The boycott lasted for months before the company changed its policy."
How to Use Boycott
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo deliberately avoid buying from or dealing with someone or something as a protest.
Common pairings
boycott a company
call for a boycott
organize a boycott
Word Forms
boycotted past tense, boycotts plural, boycotts singular
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Consumers began to _____ the brand after the scandal broke.
Etymology
From the surname of Charles Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland who was shunned by his community in an organized protest in 1880.