stoop
gb/stˈup/ us/stˈup/
B1
Inglés
~ 8200
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
B1
action
1
bend your body forward and down
To bend your body forward and down, for example to pick something up or go under something low.
Patrón de uso:
to stoop (down) to [reach something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use only "stoop" where "bend down" or "crouch" would sound more natural in casual speech. "Stoop" is correct but can sound a bit formal or literary in some everyday contexts. Also, some learners confuse "stoop" with "step" and say *"stoop on the bus"* instead of "step on the bus".
Sinónimos
bend down (More common and general in everyday speech; slightly less formal than "stoop".)
|
crouch (Suggests bending down further, often closer to a squatting position.)
Antónimos
stand upright (Describes keeping the body straight instead of bending forward.)
|
straighten up (Focuses on moving from a bent position back to standing straight.)
Colocaciones
stoop down
|stoop over
|stoop to pick it up
|stoop to tie his shoes
Temas
daily life
|body
|movement
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- She stooped to pick up the coin that had rolled under the table.
- You’ll have to stoop down to get through that low doorway.
- He stooped over the sink to wash his face.
- The nurse stooped to adjust the blanket around the child.
- I saw him stoop to grab his bag from the floor.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He stooped to pick up his phone.
- You must stoop down to go under the branch.
- She stooped over the box and looked inside.
- Grandpa stooped to talk to the little boy.
- I stoop when I tie my shoes.
Verbo
B2
action
2
lower your moral standards
To do something bad or low that you normally think is wrong, usually because you really want something.
Patrón de uso:
to stoop to [something / doing something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse "stoop to" with "stop to" because they sound similar, e.g. saying *"I will not stop to lying"* instead of "I will not stoop to lying." Another mistake is using the wrong preposition, such as *"stoop for do something"*; the correct pattern is "stoop to something" or "stoop to doing something."
Sinónimos
debase yourself (More formal; strongly emphasizes damaging your dignity or moral character.)
|
lower yourself (Common in speech; focuses on behaving in a way that is not worthy of you.)
Antónimos
rise above (Means refusing to answer bad behavior with more bad behavior; opposite of "stoop to" in conflicts.)
|
take the high road (Idiomatic; stresses choosing the more moral, dignified action instead of something low.)
Colocaciones
stoop to lying
|stoop to cheating
|stoop so low
|stoop to his level
|stoop to that level
Temas
ethics
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- I refuse to stoop to lying just to win an argument.
- She wouldn’t stoop to personal insults, even when she was angry.
- He finally stooped to stealing from his friends to pay his debts.
- Let’s not stoop to their level by spreading rumors.
- It shocked her that he would stoop so low as to falsify the report.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I will not stoop to telling lies.
- He stooped to cheating to pass the exam.
- She did not want to stoop to his level.
- They stooped to using fear to get votes.
- He stooped so low as to blame his own team.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
3
small front steps or platform
The steps or small flat place in front of the door of a house or building, often used for sitting or talking.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] sits on the stoop
Error frecuente:
Many learners do not know this word is especially common in American city English and may call every outdoor entrance area a "porch." In many houses, a "porch" is larger and may be covered, while a "stoop" is usually just a few steps and a small landing.
Sinónimos
front steps (Very close in meaning; more descriptive and slightly more general than "stoop.")
|
porch (Often larger and sometimes covered; a stoop is usually smaller and simpler.)
Antónimos
backyard (Refers to an outdoor area behind a house, contrasting with the small entrance area at the front.)
Colocaciones
front stoop
|sit on the stoop
|kids on the stoop
|stoop sale
Temas
housing
|city life
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- They spent the evening talking on the front stoop.
- A group of kids were playing cards on the stoop outside the building.
- She left the package on his stoop because he wasn’t home.
- Neighbors often stop to chat on the stoop after work.
- Someone was sitting on our stoop when we got back from the store.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The children sat on the stoop and watched the cars.
- She left the pizza on the stoop by the door.
- He waited for his friend on the front stoop.
- There is a bike on the stoop of that house.
- They had a small party on the stoop last night.
Verbo
B2
action
4
stand or walk bent forward
To hold your body bent forward when you stand or walk, often because you are old, tired, or have a problem with your back.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] stoops when [they] walk
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse this sense with the temporary action of bending down. In this meaning, "stoop" describes a regular or long‑term way of standing or walking, not just a quick movement to reach something.
Sinónimos
hunch (Focuses on the shoulders being pushed forward in a bent position.)
|
slouch (Often suggests a lazy or careless bent posture, not only age or pain.)
Antónimos
stand straight (Describes keeping your back upright and not bent forward.)
Colocaciones
stoops when he walks
|stoops with age
|stoops over when standing
|a man who stoops badly
Temas
body
|health
|ageing
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- He stoops when he walks now, his back permanently curved.
- Years of factory work made her stoop slightly at the shoulders.
- The old man stooped as he stood by the window, staring out at the street.
- If you keep stooping over your desk like that, your back will start to hurt.
- She noticed that her father was beginning to stoop with age.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- My grandfather stoops when he walks.
- He started to stoop after many years of hard work.
- She stoops over her desk all day.
- The tall boy stoops so he can hear his friends.
- The old woman stoops because her back hurts.
Sustantivo
C1
state
5
habitually bent back and shoulders
A bent shape in a person’s back and shoulders, usually for a long time, often in an old or sick person.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] has a stoop
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes think "stoop" only means the action of bending. As a noun, it can also name the long‑term bent shape of a person’s back.
Sinónimos
hunch (Very similar; often used for a rounded upper back.)
Antónimos
upright posture (Refers to a straight way of holding the body, without bending forward.)
Colocaciones
have a stoop
|a slight stoop
|a permanent stoop
|walk with a stoop
Temas
body
|health
|ageing
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- He had a slight stoop that made him look older than he was.
- Years at a sewing machine left her with a permanent stoop.
- From a distance I recognized his thin frame and familiar stoop.
- The doctor warned that if she didn’t improve her posture, she might develop a stoop.
- His shoulders had taken on a noticeable stoop in recent years.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The old man had a small stoop.
- She walks with a stoop because of her back.
- Her stoop became worse after the accident.
- Good posture can help you avoid a stoop.
- I knew him by his tall body and his stoop.
Verbo
technical
C1
action
6
bird of prey dive to attack
When a hunting bird suddenly dives down very fast to catch another animal.
Patrón de uso:
[a bird] stoops on [prey]
Error frecuente:
This technical sense is mainly used in falconry and nature writing. Learners often only know the everyday meanings of "stoop" and may misunderstand this use in wildlife documentaries or books.
Sinónimos
swoop (More general; can describe many fast, downward movements, not only birds of prey hunting.)
|
dive (General word for moving down quickly; does not imply hunting or striking.)
Antónimos
soar (Describes rising and gliding high in the air, the opposite direction of a steep dive.)
Colocaciones
falcon stooped on its prey
|hawk stooped from the sky
|stoop to attack
|the bird stoops and strikes
Temas
animals
|nature
|science
Ejemplos
- The falcon stooped on the pigeon and killed it instantly.
- From high above, the hawk stooped in a sudden dive toward the field.
- As the lure swung out, the bird stooped and struck with great speed.
- We watched a kestrel stoop from the sky to catch a mouse.
- Trained falcons are taught to stoop at a signal from the falconer.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The hawk stooped and caught the rabbit.
- We saw the falcon stoop from the sky.
- The bird stooped to attack its prey.
- In the show, the eagle stooped again and again.
- The teacher showed a video of a falcon stooping.
Verbo
literary
C2
state
7
slope or extend downward
To go down or slope down toward something, used mainly in literary writing for land or large things.
Patrón de uso:
[land / buildings] stoop to [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners may try to use this poetic sense in everyday speech, which sounds strange. In normal conversation, it is better to say "the land slopes down" or "the hill goes down to the river."
Sinónimos
descend (More general and neutral; lacks the literary flavor of "stoop.")
|
slope down (Describes the physical angle more plainly, without literary tone.)
Antónimos
rise (Describes land or structures going upward instead of down toward something.)
Colocaciones
cliffs stoop to the sea
|hills stoop toward the valley
|towers stoop over the river
Temas
nature
|literature
|space
Ejemplos
- Dark cliffs stoop to the sea along that part of the coast.
- The old houses stoop over the narrow street, almost touching above your head.
- Beyond the village, the fields stoop gently toward the river.
- Great pine‑covered hills stoop to the water’s edge.
- Ancient walls stoop around the harbor like watching giants.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- In the story, the high cliffs stoop to the sea.
- The writer says the old houses stoop over the road.
- The green hills stoop down to the river in the book.
- In this poem, the mountains stoop toward the town.
- The castle walls seem to stoop over the small houses.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
stoop
AFI
GB/stˈup/
US/stˈup/
Sílabas y acento
stoop (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (stoop)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: stoop
- Plural: stoops
Verb
- Base: stoop
- 3rd Person Singular: stoops
- Present Participle: stooping
- Past: stooped
Familia de palabras
Forms
Expresiones
sit on the stoop
1/sˈɪt ˈɔn ðə stˈup/
fixed phrase
sit on front steps/platform
To sit on the steps or small flat area in front of a house or building.
Ejemplos
- In the summer, people like to sit on the stoop and talk.
- Kids were sitting on the stoop, eating ice cream and laughing.
- We sat on the stoop and watched the street grow quiet.
stoop down
1/stˈup dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
bend your body downward
To bend your body forward and down, usually to reach or see something that is low.
Ejemplos
- He had to stoop down to look under the bed.
- She stooped down and whispered into the child’s ear.
- I stooped down to plug my phone into the socket.
stoop to
1/stˈup tə/
phrasal verb
do something low or wrong
To do something bad, rude, or low that you normally think is wrong, usually because you really want something.
Ejemplos
- I won’t stoop to lying just to get that job.
- They refused to stoop to using fear to win votes.
- She would never stoop to that kind of behavior.
stoop to someone's level
1/stˈup tə sˈʌmwˌʌnz lˈɛvəl/
idiom
behave as badly as another person
To act as badly as another person who is behaving badly, even though you think their behavior is wrong.
Ejemplos
- Try not to stoop to his level by shouting back.
- She refused to stoop to their level and kept her comments polite.
- If we stoop to their level, we’re no better than they are.
stoop so low
1/stˈup sˈoʊ lˈoʊ/
idiom
behave in a shockingly low way
To do something very bad or shameful that people did not expect from you.
Ejemplos
- I never thought he would stoop so low as to steal from his parents.
- I never thought he would stoop so low as to steal from his own family.
- She asked, "How could you stoop so low?" after hearing what he had done.
- Would you really stoop so low just to win an argument?
- They stooped so low that they lied about the safety of their product.
- She couldn’t believe her rival had stooped so low to spread those lies.