stopping: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Neutral, with technical uses in specific domains (phonetics, transportation).
Quick answer
What does “stopping” mean?
The action of bringing something to a halt or ceasing an activity.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The action of bringing something to a halt or ceasing an activity.
The act or instance of coming to an end; a place where a vehicle or person pauses during a journey; in phonetics, a consonant sound produced by complete obstruction of airflow.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical differences. 'Stopping' as a noun for 'a halt' is slightly more formal in AmE. In transportation contexts, BrE might use 'stopping train' (a train that stops at many stations) more explicitly.
Connotations
Neutral in both. In informal contexts, 'stopping' can imply a brief pause rather than a permanent halt.
Frequency
Similar high frequency in both varieties, with the gerund/noun form being common.
Grammar
How to Use “stopping” in a Sentence
[Subject] + stop + [Object/Gerund] (e.g., He stopped the car / He stopped working)[Subject] + stop + to + [Infinitive] (e.g., She stopped to rest)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “stopping” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He is stopping the engine before checking the oil.
- They are stopping for a pint at the pub.
American English
- She is stopping the car at the next light.
- We are stopping by the store on our way home.
adverb
British English
- (Rare as a pure adverb) He drove stopping and starting through the traffic.
American English
- (Rare as a pure adverb) The car moved stoppingly down the bumpy road.
adjective
British English
- The train had poor stopping performance in the wet.
- It was a heart-stopping finale to the match.
American English
- This brake pad has excellent stopping power.
- The movie had a real stopping effect on the audience.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to the cessation of processes, projects, or payments (e.g., 'stopping production due to shortages').
Academic
Used in discussions of mechanisms, historical events, or statistical processes (e.g., 'early stopping in machine learning').
Everyday
Commonly refers to pausing movement or activity (e.g., 'The bus is stopping', 'I'm stopping work at five').
Technical
In physics/engineering: the force required to halt motion. In phonetics: a plosive consonant sound (e.g., /p/, /t/, /k/).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “stopping”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “stopping”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “stopping”
- Using 'stop to [verb]' (purpose) when you mean 'stop [verb]ing' (cessation): *'I stopped to drink coffee' vs. 'I stopped drinking coffee'.
- Overusing the noun form where a simpler verb would suffice: *'The making of a stopping' instead of 'The act of stopping'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be both. As a gerund (e.g., 'Stopping is required'), it functions as a noun. It is also the present participle of the verb 'stop' (e.g., 'He is stopping').
'Stop doing' means to cease an activity. 'Stop to do' means to interrupt one activity in order to do another (e.g., 'He stopped to tie his shoe').
No, 'stoping' is a common misspelling. The correct spelling is 'stopping' with a double 'p'.
Yes, the gerund/noun form is acceptable in formal writing (e.g., 'the stopping of hostilities'). The present participle is standard in all registers.
The action of bringing something to a halt or ceasing an activity.
Stopping: in British English it is pronounced /ˈstɒp.ɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈstɑː.pɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “stopping power”
- “a heart-stopping moment”
- “without stopping to breathe”
- “put a stopping to (archaic)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a big red STOP sign. The 'ping' sound it makes when you tap it is the '-ing' ending—'STOP-ping'.
Conceptual Metaphor
MOVEMENT IS A JOURNEY / AN ACTIVITY IS A MACHINE. Stopping is seen as getting off the path or turning off the machine.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence does 'stopping' function as a noun?