boycott Definition
to refuse to buy, use, or participate in something as a way of protesting.
Using boycott: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "boycott" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The group decided to boycott the company's products until they changed their policies.
Example
Many countries boycotted the Olympics that year.
Example
The workers threatened to boycott the company if their demands were not met.
boycott Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using boycott
to force someone or something out of business or a particular market through a boycott
Example
The local farmers boycotted the supermarket chain out of the market by selling their produce directly to consumers.
boycott-proof
immune to boycotts or resistant to their effects
Example
The company's diversified product line made it boycott-proof and able to weather consumer protests.
a phenomenon where consumers become tired of participating in boycotts or feel that they are ineffective
Example
The boycott fatigue among consumers led to a decline in participation in the protest.
Phrases with boycott
a form of protest where consumers stop buying a company's products or services in response to its actions or policies
Example
The consumer boycott of the company led to a significant drop in sales.
a form of protest where academics refuse to participate in conferences, publish articles, or collaborate with colleagues from a particular institution or country
Example
The academic boycott of the university was organized to protest its policies on academic freedom.
a form of protest where a union encourages its members to boycott a company that is not directly involved in a labor dispute
Example
The secondary boycott of the shipping company was organized to support the striking dockworkers.
Origins of boycott
named after Captain Charles Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland who was ostracized by his community during a rent strike in 1880
Summary: boycott in Brief
'Boycott' [ˈbɔɪkɒt] means to refuse to buy, use, or participate in something as a way of protesting. It is often used to express disapproval of a company's policies or actions, as in 'The group decided to boycott the company's products until they changed their policies.' The term extends into phrases like 'consumer boycott,' and idioms like 'boycott-proof,' denoting immunity to boycotts, and 'boycott fatigue,' implying a decline in participation.
