: to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (a person, a store, an organization, etc.) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions
boycotting American products
boycottnoun
boycotternoun
Did you know?
In the 1870s, Irish farmers faced an agricultural crisis that threatened to result in a repeat of the terrible famine and mass evictions of the 1840s. Anticipating financial ruin, they formed a Land League to campaign against the rent increases and evictions landlords were imposing as a result of the crisis. Retired British army captain Charles Boycott had the misfortune to be acting as an agent for an absentee landlord at the time, and when he tried to evict tenant farmers for refusing to pay their rent, he was ostracized by the League and community. His laborers and servants quit, and his crops began to rot. Boycott's fate was soon well known, and his name became a byword for that particular protest strategy.
Example Sentences
plans to boycott American products They boycotted the city's bus system. We boycotted companies that were polluting the environment.
Recent Examples on the WebDisney continued to face criticism, with some conservatives vowing to boycott the company. Katie Rice, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Sep. 2022 At the time the recording was released, Curry and the Warriors were in the middle of a playoff series against Sterling's team, and the Bay Area basketball players had intended to boycott the game. Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2022 Ye shared screenshots on IG featuring conversations with Diddy and Swizz Beatz vowing to boycott Adidas. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2022 What transpired after that was postponed games and meetings in which there clearly wasn't total agreement as reports came out that the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers voted to boycott the rest of the playoffs. Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 31 Aug. 2020 Andy wrote this last night, and since then, the Lakers and Clippers both voted to boycott the rest of the NBA season. Andy Nesbitt, USA TODAY, 27 Aug. 2020 Some fans have urged others to boycott the tour and have called on the live entertainment behemoth Ticketmaster to issue refunds for concert tickets. Derek Hawkins, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2022 The union had been urging consumers to boycott the grower’s table grapes. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2022 In this case, cinemas would be hard-pressed to boycott Halloween Ends, considering that the September and October calendars are notably light of high-profile fare. Pamela Mcclintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Charles C. Boycott †1897 English land agent in Ireland who was ostracized for refusing to reduce rents