halt
- 01 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.
Simple“The soldiers were ordered to halt at the edge of the forest.”
In context“The production line was forced to halt immediately after a critical mechanical failure was detected in the primary cooling system.”
UsageCan be used both transitively (to halt something) and intransitively (to halt).
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a temporary stop in movement or progress.
n.a suspension of movement or activity, typically temporary in nature.
Simple“The car came to a sudden halt when a cat ran across the road.”
In context“Negotiations came to a grinding halt as neither side was willing to compromise on the final budgetary requirements.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'come to a halt' or 'call a halt to'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a very small train station, usually without any staff or buildings.
n.a minor railway station, typically unstaffed and possessing minimal facilities.
Simple“The train only stops at the village halt if you signal the driver.”
In context“The rural halt consisted of nothing more than a short wooden platform and a single weathered signpost indicating the next destination.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
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.
Simple“The old story tells of a king who helped the poor and the halt.”
In context“In the biblical passage, the beggar was described as halt and blind, sitting by the city gates to ask for alms.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is almost exclusively found in historical literature or religious texts; it is not used in modern medical or social contexts.
Usage halt the spread
“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.”
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.