stop
gb/stˈɑp/ us/stˈɑp/
A1
English
~ 3000
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A1
action
1
Make something stop moving
To make someone or something not move or work anymore.
Usage pattern:
to stop [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'stop' with 'finish'; 'stop' means to make something cease before it might be complete, while 'finish' means to bring it to completion.
Synonyms
halt (Slightly more formal and abrupt in tone; often used in official or military contexts.)
Antonyms
start (Means to begin motion or operation, the opposite of stopping.)
Collocations
stop the car
|stop the machine
|stop the music
|stop traffic
Themes
daily life
|transportation
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- He stopped the car at the red light.
- Can you stop the music for a moment?
- The guard stopped the man at the entrance.
- They stopped production due to safety concerns.
Learner examples
- Please stop the car here.
- Stop the music now.
- The teacher stopped the game.
- He stopped the bus quickly.
Verb
A1
action
2
Cease moving or operating
To not move or do something anymore.
Usage pattern:
to stop [verb+ing]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget to use the -ing form after 'stop' when referring to an activity, e.g., incorrect: 'I stopped to smoke' (which actually means 'I stopped in order to smoke'). Correct: 'I stopped smoking' (meaning I quit the habit).
Synonyms
pause (Implies a temporary break rather than a complete end.)
Antonyms
continue (Means to keep doing something without stopping.)
Collocations
stop walking
|stop talking
|stop working
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- She stopped walking to tie her shoe.
- I stopped working at six o’clock.
- He stopped talking when the phone rang.
Learner examples
- I stop running when I am tired.
- She stopped reading her book.
- He stopped talking to me.
Noun
A1
entity
3
Place where vehicles stop
A place where buses, trains, etc., stop for people to get on or off.
Synonyms
station (Larger and more permanent than a typical 'stop', usually with facilities.)
Collocations
bus stop
|train stop
|next stop
Themes
transportation
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The bus stop is just around the corner.
- Our next stop will be Chicago.
- They met at the train stop.
Learner examples
- This is my bus stop.
- The next stop is my house.
- I wait at the bus stop.
Noun
A2
event
4
Act of stopping movement/activity
A time when something stops moving or working.
Synonyms
halt (More abrupt or formal than 'stop'.)
Collocations
make a quick stop
|emergency stop
|full stop
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- The train made an unexpected stop.
- They planned a quick stop for lunch.
- The car came to a gentle stop.
Learner examples
- The bus made a stop here.
- We made a stop for food.
- The car made a quick stop.
Grammar
Dictionary form
stop
IPA
GB/stˈɑp/
US/stˈɑp/
Syllables & stress
stop (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (stop)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: stop
- Plural: stops
Verb
- Base: stop
- 3rd Person Singular: stops
- Present Participle: stopping
- Past: stopped
Word family
Forms
stops
noun
stopping
verb
stopped
verb
Related words
stopper
noun
nonstop
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unstoppable
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
stoppage
noun
stoppable
adjective
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: stopping Verb
- Irregular past: stopped Verb
Expressions
at a dead stop
1/ˈæt ə dˈɛd stˈɑp/
fixed phrase
Completely motionless or inactive
Not moving at all.
Examples
- Traffic was at a dead stop for hours.
- The project came to a dead stop after funding was cut.
come to a stop
1/kˈʌm tə ə stˈɑp/
fixed phrase
Gradually cease moving until still
To slow down and then not move anymore.
Examples
- The train came to a stop at the platform.
- Her laughter came to a stop when she saw his face.
stop by
1/stˈɑp bˈaɪ/
phrasal verb
Make a short visit
To visit a place for a short time, often on your way somewhere else.
Examples
- I’ll stop by your office after lunch.
- She stopped by to drop off some books.
stop over
1/stˈɑp ˈoʊvɚ/
phrasal verb
Stay temporarily while traveling
To stay in a place for a short time on your way to another place.
Examples
- We stopped over in Paris for two days on our way to Rome.
- They decided to stop over in Dubai before flying home.
stop over
1/stˈɑp ˈoʊvɚ/
phrasal verb
make a short stop
to stay somewhere for a short time while traveling to another place
Examples
- We stopped over in Dubai on the way to Bangkok.
- If you stop over in Paris, you can take the train into the center.
- They plan to stop over for one night and continue in the morning.