boycott

boycott — verb

1. to stop buying from, using, or joining a person, group, company, or event in ord

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to stop buying from, using, or joining a person, group, company, or event in order to show anger publicly and pressure them to change

Example

Thousands of fans boycotted the streaming service after ticket prices doubled.

boycott + company or service

After the data leak, many users boycotted the payment app for weeks.

boycott + product or service

Common collocations
  • boycott a company
  • boycott an event
  • boycott an election
  • boycott talks
  • boycott a product
Synonyms
  • shun

    broader and often used for avoiding a person or thing without an organized protest

  • avoid

    the everyday word and much weaker, often without any public message

  • blacklist

    usually means formally refusing contact or work with someone on a list

Antonyms
  • support

    the broad opposite when you continue to back a person, group, or cause

  • patronize

    specifically means continuing to buy from or use a business

Grammar Patterns

boycott something

boycott somebody

Usage Note

The object is usually a business, event, product, election, meeting, or person. The word often suggests organized action by a group, not just one person's private choice to stay away.

Common Mistakes

Many shoppers boycotted against the brand.
Many shoppers boycotted the brand.' / 'Many shoppers protested against the brand.
boycott takes a direct object, so do not add against after it.

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

For this sense, boycott usually means refusing to buy from, join, or deal with someone as a public protest. Avoid is much broader and often personal: you may avoid a shop because it is expensive, with no wish to send a message. Shun is closer, but it often stresses social rejection rather than organized pressure for change. Blacklist is more formal and usually involves putting a person or company on a list that blocks work or contact. Ban is different because it comes from authority: a school can ban an app, but users can boycott it. Students may boycott a lecture to protest the speaker, while a customer may simply avoid a cafe because the coffee is bad.

shunavoid ↗blacklistban ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • boycott a company
  • boycott an event
  • boycott an election
  • boycott talks

Prepositions

Etymology

Personal nameEnglish

Boycott comes from the surname of Charles Cunningham Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland. In 1880, local people stopped working for him, trading with him, and speaking to him during a protest about rents and land rights. His name quickly became a verb for cutting off support or business as a way to force change.