verb Uncommon

stoop

Stoop (verb) means to bend the body forward and down. Example: “He had to stoop to get through the low doorway.”

verb

To bend the body forward and down.

"He had to stoop to get through the low doorway."

"She stooped to pick up the dropped keys."

To lower oneself morally by doing something beneath one's standards.

"I never thought he'd stoop to lying about his own colleagues."

noun

A small staircase or platform leading up to a house entrance, especially in American row houses.

"Neighbours sat out on their stoops on warm summer evenings."

How to use stoop

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishBending your body down, or (figuratively) lowering yourself to do something wrong; also, US English for the steps up to a front door.

UK vs US

The porch-steps sense ("stoop") is chiefly American, especially in New York; British English would usually just say "steps" or "doorstep".

Common pairings

stoop to conquer stoop down sit on the stoop

Word forms

stooped past tense, stoops plural, stoops plural, stoops plural, stoops plural, stoops singular

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He had to _____ to get through the low doorway.

Etymology

From Old English stūpian ("to bow, bend"), a Germanic word related to Dutch stuipen and Old Norse stúpa, both meaning to bend forward.

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

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bend down crouch squat

Related words

low jack duck squat crouch hunker diddly squatting

Rhymes for stoop

OOP poop hoop coop loop goop roop boop sloop bloop troop whoop

See all rhymes for stoop →

Frequently asked questions

What does “stoop” mean?

The word “stoop” means to bend the body forward and down. In plain terms, bending your body down, or (figuratively) lowering yourself to do something wrong; also, US English for the steps up to a front door.

How do you pronounce “stoop”?

“Stoop” is pronounced stoop (/stup/ in IPA).

How do you use “stoop” in a sentence?

Here is “stoop” used in a sentence: “He had to stoop to get through the low doorway.”

What is another word for “stoop”?

Words with a similar meaning to “stoop” include bend down, crouch and squat.

What part of speech is “stoop”?

Depending on how it is used, “stoop” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “stoop” come from?

The word “stoop” comes from Old English. From Old English stūpian ("to bow, bend"), a Germanic word related to Dutch stuipen and Old Norse stúpa, both meaning to bend forward.

Is “stoop” a common word?

“Stoop” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “stoop” have?

“Stoop” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to bend the body forward and down.

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low jack duck squat crouch hunker diddly squatting