{
    "term": "cease",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "academic": true,
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "cease",
            "heSheIt": "ceases"
        },
        "pastSimple": "ceased",
        "pastParticiple": "ceased",
        "ingForm": "ceasing"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to stop happening or existing; to stop something from happening or existing",
            "sensetop": "cease to do somethingcease somethingcease doing something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Welfare payments cease as soon as an individual starts a job."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You never cease to amaze me!",
                    "contextForm": "cease to do something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They voted to cease strike action immediately.",
                    "contextForm": "cease something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He ordered his men to cease fire *(= stop shooting)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The company ceased trading in June.",
                    "contextForm": "cease doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Building ceased with the outbreak of war."
                },
                {
                    "text": "My job had effectively ceased to exist."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It rained all day without ceasing."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The bird's song ceased abruptly."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The conversation had long ceased to interest me."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The company has now ceased production of the toys."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The factory will cease operations this autumn."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The flow slowed, then ceased altogether."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The noise faded, then ceased altogether."
                },
                {
                    "text": "These violations of the code must cease forthwith."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["altogether", "completely", "entirely"],
                "preposition": ["with"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a phrase used to express surprise and pleasure at something",
            "labels": "(informal, usually ironic)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "‘I've cleaned my room.’ ‘Wonders will never cease!’"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/siːs/",
                "audio": "ce/cease/cease__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈsiːsɪz/",
                "audio": "ce/cease/ceases__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/siːst/",
                "audio": "ce/cease/ceased__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈsiːsɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ce/cease/ceasing__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/siːs/",
                "audio": "ce/cease/cease__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈsiːsɪz/",
                "audio": "ce/cease/ceases__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/siːst/",
                "audio": "ce/cease/ceased__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈsiːsɪŋ/",
                "audio": "ce/cease/ceasing__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French cesser, from Latin cessare ‘stop’, from cedere ‘to yield’."
}