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Definition of protest verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

protest

verb
 
/prəˈtest/
 
/prəˈtest/,
 
/ˈprəʊtest/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they protest
 
/prəˈtest/
 
/prəˈtest/,
 
/ˈprəʊtest/
he / she / it protests
 
/prəˈtests/
 
/prəˈtests/,
 
/ˈprəʊtests/
past simple protested
 
/prəˈtestɪd/
 
/prəˈtestɪd/,
 
/ˈprəʊtestɪd/
past participle protested
 
/prəˈtestɪd/
 
/prəˈtestɪd/,
 
/ˈprəʊtestɪd/
-ing form protesting
 
/prəˈtestɪŋ/
 
/prəˈtestɪŋ/,
 
/ˈprəʊtestɪŋ/
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  1. [intransitive, transitive] to say or do something to show that you disagree with something or think it is bad, especially publicly
    • There's no use protesting, I won't change my mind.
    • They were taken away protesting loudly.
    • protest about/against/at something Students took to the streets to protest against the decision.
    • The victim's widow protested at the leniency of the sentence.
    • Tenants have been protesting about conditions in their block of flats.
    • protest something (North American English) They fully intend to protest the decision.
    • In college she protested the war in Vietnam.
    Synonyms complaincomplainprotest object grumble moan whineThese words all mean to say that you are annoyed, unhappy or not satisfied about somebody/​something.complain to say that you are annoyed, unhappy or not satisfied about somebody/​something:
    • I’m going to complain to the manager about this.
    protest to say or do something to show that you disagree with something or think it is bad, especially publicly; to give something as a reason for protesting:
    • Students took to the streets to protest against the decision.
    object to say that you disagree with something or think it is bad; to give something as a reason for objecting:
    • If nobody objects, we’ll postpone the meeting till next week.
    • He objected that the police had arrested him without sufficient evidence.
    grumble (rather informal, disapproving) to complain about somebody/​something, especially something that is not really very serious:
    • They kept grumbling that they were cold.
    moan (British English, rather informal, disapproving) to complain about somebody/​something in an annoying way:
    • What are you moaning about now?
    whine (rather informal, disapproving) to complain in an annoying, crying voice:
    • Stop whining!
    • ‘I want to go home,’ whined Toby.
    Whine is often used to talk about the way that young children complain.
    Patterns
    • to complain/​protest/​grumble/​moan/​whine about something
    • to complain/​protest/​grumble/​moan at something
    • to complain/​protest/​object/​grumble/​moan/​whine to somebody
    • to complain/​protest/​object/​grumble/​moan/​whine that…
    Extra Examples
    • Crowds gathered to protest about the police violence.
    • Many people have protested at the cuts in state benefits.
    • Many people protested over the tax increase.
    • When he tried to protest, she insisted.
    • the right to protest peacefully
    • They were exercising their lawful right to protest.
    • We have protested to the government.
    Topics Opinion and argumentb1, Social issuesb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • strongly
    • vehemently
    • vigorously
    verb + protest
    • begin to
    • try to
    • gather to
    preposition
    • about
    • over
    • against
    phrases
    • the freedom to protest
    • the right to protest
    See full entry
  2. [transitive] to state clearly that something is true, especially when you have been accused of something or when other people do not believe you
    • protest something She has always protested her innocence.
    • protest that… He protested that the journey was too far by car.
    • She protested that she could not receive a fair trial.
    • + speech ‘That's not what you said earlier!’ Jane protested.
  3. Word Originlate Middle English (as a verb in the sense ‘make a solemn declaration’): from Old French protester, from Latin protestari, from pro- ‘forth, publicly’ + testari ‘assert’ (from testis ‘witness’).
See protest in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee protest in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
given
adjective
 
 
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