A boycott is a refusalan act of saying no or declining to do something to buy from, support, or deal with a person, company, or organizationa group of people working together for a shared purpose in order to protestan action showing disagreement or opposition to something something. It can also be used as a verb for taking part in that refusal.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈbɔɪˌkɑt/
Easy pronunciation: BOY-kot (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress is on the first syllable.
Noun: a group’s refusal to do business or buy as a protest.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Boycott Meaning
a refusal to buy from or deal with a company or group as a protest
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a group's refusal to have commercial dealings with some organization in protest against its policies
Example: The union called for a boycott of the store after the policy change.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- embargo — Sometimes used for a ban on trade, but it is not the same as a protest by a group.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Boycott
Meaning 2
to refuse to buy from, support, or deal with someone as a protest
Part of speech: verb
Definition: refuse to sponsor; refuse to do business with
Example: Several activists decided to boycott the brand after the announcement.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- embargo — Can relate to restricting trade, but it is not a direct everyday substitute for the verb sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Boycott Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- refuse to buy from
- refuse to deal with
- shun
verb: refuse to sponsor; refuse to do business with
- refuse to buy from
- refuse to deal with
- shun
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Don't confuse boycott with a simple personal dislike; a boycott is usually a deliberate protest action.
- Boycott is not the same as patronize/patronise, which means to support or do business with a place or person.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does boycott mean?
Boycott means to refuse to buy from, deal with, or support someone or something as a protest.
What is a boycott in simple words?
It is when people stop buying from or dealing with a company or group to show disagreement.
What are some synonyms for boycott?
Good close synonyms include refuse to buy from, refuse to deal with, and shun, depending on the sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.