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stop
/stɒp/
to cease movement or action
The car stopped at the red light.
The car ceased moving when the light turned red.
general
to cease moving or doing something
Please stop talking for a moment.
Please cease speaking for a moment.
Commonly used in everyday conversation to request someone to halt an action.
general
to make something stop
The police stopped the thief.
The police made the thief halt.
Used when referring to causing something or someone to stop.
general
to halt or pause temporarily
We stopped for lunch on our road trip.
We paused for lunch during our journey.
Often used to describe a brief interruption in an activity.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Usage
Use 'stop' for both actions and requests, such as 'Stop!' or 'The car stopped.'
Gold Rule
Transitive vs. Intransitive
'Stop' can be used both ways: 'The train stopped' (intransitive) and 'She stopped the train' (transitive).
Word Origin
From Middle English 'stopen', from Old English 'stopian', from Proto-Germanic 'stupōną' (to stop, stand). Related to Old High German 'stuppon' and Old Norse 'stuppa'.
Usage Notes
Can be used both as an intransitive verb (to stop moving) and a transitive verb (to make something stop). Often used in commands or requests.
Word Breakdown
stop
to halt or cease
rootEnglish Dictionary