dis- + continue

STOP, CEASE, QUIT, DISCONTINUE, DESIST mean to suspend or cause to suspend activity.

STOP applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.

e.g. stopped at the red light

CEASE applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.

e.g. by nightfall the fighting had ceased

QUIT may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

e.g. the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

DISCONTINUE applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

e.g. we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

DESIST implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

e.g. desisted from further efforts to persuade them

verb (discontinues, discontinuing, discontinued) with object

cease doing or providing (something), typically something provided on a regular basis:

〈人などが〉〈定期的な活動〉を中止する, やめる; 〖～ doing〗 …するのを中止する

e.g. the ferry service was discontinued by the proprietors

e.g. he discontinued his visits.

(usually be discontinued) stop making (a particular product):

〖通例be ～d〗 〈物が〉生産中止になる, 〈営業サービスが〉停止になる

e.g. their current top-of-the-range running shoe is being discontinued.

cease taking (a newspaper or periodical) or paying (a subscription).

〈新聞などの定期購読〉をやめる

discontinuance |ˌdiskənˈtinyo͞oəns| noun

discontinuation |ˈˌdiskənˌtinyo͞oˈāSHən| noun

late Middle English (in the sense ‘interrupt, disrupt’): via Old French from medieval Latin discontinuare, from Latin dis- ‘not’ + continuare (see continue).