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stopped
/stɒpt/
came to a halt
The bus stopped at the corner.
The vehicle ceased moving at that specific location.
general
ceased moving or operating
He stopped the car to check the map.
He brought the vehicle to a standstill.
Used for physical motion or mechanical operation.
general
discontinued an activity or habit
She stopped smoking last year.
She quit the habit of smoking.
Often followed by a gerund (-ing form) to indicate quitting an action.
general
prevented something from happening
The rain stopped us from going out.
The rain prevented us from leaving.
Used when an external factor causes an interruption.
Collocations
stopped byvisited brieflystopped workingceased functioning
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Gerund vs. Infinitive
Use 'stopped + -ing' to quit an action (e.g., stopped eating). Use 'stopped + to + verb' to pause one action to start another (e.g., stopped to eat).
Gold Rule
Irregular Verb Form
The past tense and past participle of 'stop' is 'stopped' (double p), not 'stoped'.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'stoppen', from Old French 'estoper', from Late Latin 'stuppāre' meaning to plug with tow.
Usage Notes
Do not confuse 'stopped doing' (quit) with 'stopped to do' (paused in order to).
Word Breakdown
stop
base verb
root-ped
past tense suffix
suffixEnglish Dictionary