# nonstop

/ˌnɑnˈstɑp/ (US) · /nˌɒnstˈɒp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/nonstop
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. without a break

adverb · CEFR B1

doing something continuously without stopping.

For teachers: occurring or performing an action without interruption or pause.

- It rained nonstop for three days, so we had to stay inside.
- The legal team worked nonstop through the weekend to ensure the merger documents were finalised before the markets opened on Monday morning.

Usage: Usually placed after the verb it modifies.

### 2. continuous or direct

adjective · CEFR B1

describing a journey or activity that has no stops or breaks.

For teachers: denoting a journey, flight, or activity that proceeds to its destination or conclusion without intermediate pauses.

- We took a nonstop flight from London to New York to save time.
- The candidate's nonstop campaigning across the northern provinces eventually resulted in a significant lead in the local polls.

Usage: Typically used before a noun.

### 3. a direct flight

noun · CEFR B2

a flight or trip that goes from one place to another without stopping.

For teachers: a journey, particularly an aircraft flight, that does not involve any intermediate stops between the point of departure and the destination.

- Is there a nonstop to Tokyo, or do I have to change planes?
- The airline recently added a daily nonstop to Singapore, catering specifically to business travellers who wish to avoid lengthy connections in Dubai.

### 4. a continuant sound

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a speech sound that you can keep making without stopping the air, like 's' or 'm'.

For teachers: a speech sound produced without a complete closure of the vocal tract, allowing for a continuous flow of air.

- The letter 'f' is a nonstop because the air keeps moving.
- Phonetic analysis reveals that nonstops, such as fricatives and liquids, contrast sharply with plosives in terms of their acoustic duration.

Usage: Used specifically within the field of linguistics and phonetics.

## Examples

- The baby cried nonstop for two hours.
- We flew nonstop from London to New York, which saved us several hours of travel time.
- The rescue teams worked nonstop through the night, refusing to pause until every resident had been safely evacuated from the flooded district.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.