stop
A1Neutral. Extremely common and acceptable in all registers, from informal to formal.
Definition
Meaning
To cause to cease moving or progressing; to come to an end.
To prevent something from happening or continuing; a place where vehicles halt to pick up passengers; a point where something finishes; a punctuation mark (.) indicating a full pause.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The verb's fundamental meaning of 'ceasing motion' extends metaphorically to ceasing any action, process, or function. It also functions as a noun for the location or act of stopping, and as an adjective/adverb in specific compound forms.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In public transport contexts, British English uses 'bus stop', 'tram stop'. American English also uses 'bus stop', but for trains, 'stop' can imply a minor station. In automotive contexts, 'stop' as a noun (e.g., 'a full stop') is common, but American English more frequently uses 'stop sign' and 'stoplight' vs. British 'traffic lights' or 'give way'/'halt'.
Connotations
No significant connotational differences. The imperative "Stop!" is universally forceful.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in both varieties with near-identical usage patterns.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
stop (intransitive)stop + noun (transitive)stop + verb-ing (gerund)stop + pronounstop + preposition (e.g., stop at, stop by)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Pull out all the stops”
- “Stop dead in your tracks”
- “Stop on a dime (AmE)”
- “Stop short of”
- “Put a stop to something”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"We need to stop production due to a supply chain issue."
Academic
"The study aimed to identify factors that stop the progression of the disease."
Everyday
"Can you stop at the shop on your way home?"
Technical
"The function uses a break statement to stop the iteration loop."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The rain should stop by this afternoon.
- Please stop making that noise.
- The bus stops just outside the post office.
American English
- He stopped by the office for a quick chat.
- They stopped the game due to lightning.
- I stopped to get gas on the highway.
adverb
British English
- She pulled up stop at the junction. (rare, typically part of 'full stop')
- He came to a stop dead.
American English
- He told me to come to a complete stop. (in phrases)
- The car was stop still.
adjective
British English
- It's a stop-motion animation film.
- Press the stop button.
- He's a stop-gap manager.
American English
- We made a stop-action video.
- The stop sign was hidden by a tree.
- It was just a stop-gap measure.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The train stops here.
- Stop the car, please.
- Where is the bus stop?
- I've stopped eating sugar to be healthier.
- The company decided to stop the project due to costs.
- We need to put a stop to this behaviour.
- The government intervened to stop the merger on competitive grounds.
- She stopped short of accusing him directly, but her implications were clear.
- The documentary pulls no stops in its criticism of the policy.
- The peace talks ground to a stop amid renewed hostilities.
- His heart stopped for several minutes during the surgery.
- This new evidence could stop the legislation in its tracks.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a big red STOP sign. The word is short and abrupt, just like the action it describes.
Conceptual Metaphor
MOVEMENT IS LIFE / ACTION IS MOTION (e.g., 'stop arguing', 'life came to a stop'); PROGRESS IS A JOURNEY (e.g., 'a stop on the road to success').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Confusing 'stop doing' with 'stop to do'. 'Stop talking' means cease the action. 'Stop to talk' means interrupt a journey in order to talk.
- Overusing 'stop' where 'stay' or 'remain' is correct (e.g., 'I stopped at a hotel' vs. 'I stayed at a hotel').
- Using 'stop' + infinitive (a calque from Russian) is incorrect; must use gerund.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'She stopped to work at 5 pm.' (Means she ceased another activity in order to work.) Correct: 'She stopped working at 5 pm.'
- Incorrect: 'I will stop you to go.' Correct: 'I will stop you from going.' or 'I will not let you go.'
- Incorrect spelling: 'stopp' (double 'p' is incorrect for the base form).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence correctly uses 'stop' to mean 'prevent'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Stop doing' means to cease the action of 'doing'. 'Stop to do' means to interrupt one activity in order to start another (the 'do' activity). Example: 'He stopped smoking' (he quit). 'He stopped to smoke' (he paused his journey for a cigarette).
No, not in the sense of ceasing an action. 'Stop' + infinitive is only used in the structure 'stop (in order) to do something', expressing purpose. To cease an action, use 'stop' + gerund (verb-ing).
Yes, but primarily to mean a complete cessation ("He came to a full stop"). For the punctuation mark (.), American English prefers 'period'. British English uses 'full stop' for both the punctuation and the complete halt.
Common ones include 'stop by' (visit briefly), 'stop over' (break a journey), 'stop off' (visit en route), 'stop up' (block or stay awake late - BrE), and 'stop in' (visit - often AmE).
Collections
Part of a collection
Daily Verbs
A1 · 50 words · Essential action words used in everyday conversation.
Places in the City
A1 · 50 words · Common buildings and places found in towns and cities.
Transport
A2 · 48 words · Ways of getting from place to place.