Word
halt
US/ˈhɔɫt/
UK/hˈɒlt/
Definitions
01to stop
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to stop moving or to stop an activity immediately.
v. to bring to a stop or to cease moving; often used in military or formal contexts.
日本語:停止する※
Español:parar
“The soldiers were ordered to halt at the edge of the forest.”
“The production line was forced to halt immediately after a critical mechanical failure was detected in the primary cooling system.”
Usage
Can be used both transitively (to halt something) and intransitively (to halt).
02a stop
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a temporary stop in movement or progress.
n. a suspension of movement or activity, typically temporary in nature.
日本語:停止※
“The car came to a sudden halt when a cat ran across the road.”
“Negotiations came to a grinding halt as neither side was willing to compromise on the final budgetary requirements.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrase 'come to a halt' or 'call a halt to'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03small train station
C1 · Advanced Countable noun British English
n. a very small train station, usually without any staff or buildings.
n. a minor railway station, typically unstaffed and possessing minimal facilities.
“The train only stops at the village halt if you signal the driver.”
“The rural halt consisted of nothing more than a short wooden platform and a single weathered signpost indicating the next destination.”
04lame
C2 · Proficiency Archaic · Literary
adj. an old word for someone who is unable to walk properly because of an injury.
adj. physically disabled or lame; specifically referring to a limping gait.
“The old story tells of a king who helped the poor and the halt.”
“In the biblical passage, the beggar was described as halt and blind, sitting by the city gates to ask for alms.”
Teaching tip
This sense is almost exclusively found in historical literature or religious texts; it is not used in modern medical or social contexts.
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “halt” in context.
Verb
01. abruptly halt the proceedings
“The judge had to abruptly halt the proceedings when a witness collapsed.”
verb + noun
02. grind to a halt
“Production ground to a halt after the factory lost power during the storm.”
verb + prep + noun
03. halt the spread of the virus
“Strict quarantine measures were implemented to halt the spread of the virus.”
verb + noun
Preposition
04. bring the project to a halt
“A sudden lack of funding brought the ambitious infrastructure project to a halt.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
05. come to a screeching halt
“The car came to a screeching halt just inches away from the fallen tree.”
verb + prep + adj + noun
Adverb
06. effectively halt the decline
“New economic policies were designed to effectively halt the decline in the value of the currency.”
adv + verb
07. temporarily halt production
“The company decided to temporarily halt production while the safety audit was conducted.”
adv + verb
Real-World Examples
“The festival had opened on Sunday and was meant to last a week, but Monday’s earthquake brought celebrations to a halt.” “Counting got under way immediately after polls closed on Thursday but no official results had been declared when the halt in the count came into effect.” Etymology
From Middle English halten, from Old English healtian (“to be lame, walk with a limp”), from Proto-West Germanic haltōn, related to halt. English usage in the sense of 'make a halt' is from the noun. Cognate with North Frisian halte, Swedish halta.
From Middle French halt, from early modern German halt (“stop!”), imperative of halten (“to hold, to stop”). Doublet of hold (see that entry for more information).
From Middle English halt, from Old English healt, from Proto-West Germanic halt, from Proto-Germanic haltaz (“halt, lame”), from Proto-Indo-European kol-d-, from Proto-Indo-European kel- (“to beat, strike, cut, slash”). Cognate with Danish halt, Swedish halt.
Borrowed from French halte.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/halt
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0