stop
stop
Stop (verb) means to cease moving or to bring something to a halt. Example: “The bus stopped right outside the museum.”
verb
1
To cease moving or to bring something to a halt.
"The bus stopped right outside the museum."
"Please stop the car, I think we're lost."
"The clock stopped at midnight because the battery had run out."
2
To cease doing something, or to prevent it from continuing.
"She stopped smoking two years ago."
"New regulations were introduced to stop the practice."
"It finally stopped raining, so we went out for a walk."
noun
1
A place where a bus, train, or other vehicle regularly halts to pick up or drop off passengers.
"Get off at the next stop and walk two blocks north."
"The train makes a stop at every small village along the coast."
"I waited at the bus stop for twenty minutes in the rain."
How to use stop
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo bring something — motion, an action, a habit — to an end, or (as a noun) the place or point where that happens.
Common pairings
stop short
come to a stop
bus stop
stop doing something
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Word forms
- Plural
- stops
- Third person singular
- stops
- Past tense
- stopped
- Archaic forms
- stoppest, stoppedst, stoppeth
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Please _____ the car, I think we're lost.
Etymology
From Old English stoppian ("to stop, close up"), a very old Germanic word related to Dutch stoppen and German stopfen, ultimately from a root meaning to push or plug something.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for stop
See all rhymes for stop →Frequently asked questions
What does “stop” mean?
The word “stop” means to cease moving or to bring something to a halt. In plain terms, to bring something — motion, an action, a habit — to an end, or (as a noun) the place or point where that happens.
How do you pronounce “stop”?
“Stop” is pronounced stop (/stɒp/ in IPA).
How do you use “stop” in a sentence?
Here is “stop” used in a sentence: “The bus stopped right outside the museum.”
What is another word for “stop”?
Words with a similar meaning to “stop” include desist, halt, cease, discontinue, terminate and freeze.
What is the opposite of “stop”?
The opposite of “stop” — its antonyms — are continue, go, move, proceed and accelerate.
What part of speech is “stop”?
Depending on how it is used, “stop” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “stop” come from?
The word “stop” comes from Old English. From Old English stoppian ("to stop, close up"), a very old Germanic word related to Dutch stoppen and German stopfen, ultimately from a root meaning to push or plug something.
Is “stop” a common word?
“Stop” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between 'stop' and 'pause'?
To 'stop' is to cease completely or bring something to an end. To 'pause' is to halt only briefly, with the intention of continuing soon after. A film you stop is finished, while a film you pause waits for you to resume. Stopping suggests an end, and pausing suggests a break.
What is the difference between 'stop doing' and 'stop to do'?
They mean opposite things. 'Stop doing something' means end that activity, so 'stop smoking' means quit smoking. 'Stop to do something' means pause in order to do it, so 'stop to smoke' means halt so you can have a cigarette. The small change in grammar flips the meaning entirely.
What is the opposite of 'stop'?
Common opposites are 'start,' 'go,' and 'continue,' depending on the sense. 'Start' begins an action, 'go' signals movement as with traffic lights, and 'continue' means to keep going without halting. Which one fits depends on whether you mean beginning, moving, or carrying on.
What is the past tense of 'stop'?
The past tense and past participle are both 'stopped,' spelled with a double p: 'the bus stopped,' 'it has stopped raining.' The final consonant doubles because 'stop' ends in a single vowel followed by a single consonant, a regular English spelling rule for such short verbs.
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