Word
stopped
US/ˈstɑpt/
UK/stˈɒpt/
Definitions
01finished an action
A1 · Beginner
v. to have finished doing something or to have come to an end.
v. the past tense of 'stop', indicating the cessation of an activity or process.
“The rain finally stopped after three days of heavy storms.”
“The production line stopped abruptly when a sensor detected a misalignment in the primary assembly arm.”
Pitfall
He stopped to smoke.
He stopped smoking.
Use 'stopped' followed by an -ing verb to mean the habit ended. Using 'to' means he paused his journey in order to smoke.
02stayed in a place
A2 · Elementary
v. to have stayed somewhere for a short time during a journey.
v. the past tense of 'stop', indicating a temporary stay or pause at a location during transit.
“We stopped at a small café for lunch on our way to the coast.”
“The delegation stopped in Geneva for forty-eight hours to consult with local officials before proceeding to the summit in Brussels.”
Antonyms
03not moving
A2 · Elementary
adj. not moving or no longer in motion.
adj. describing a state of arrested motion; often used for vehicles or machinery that have ceased operation.
“The police officer walked toward the stopped car to check the driver's ID.”
“The investigation focused on the stopped train, attempting to determine why the emergency brakes had engaged without driver intervention.”
Synonyms
04blocked or closed
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. blocked or filled so that nothing can pass through.
adj. describing a pipe, passage, or container that is obstructed or closed at one end.
“The sink was stopped with hair and soap, so the water wouldn't drain.”
“The plumber identified a stopped pipe deep within the building's foundation that was causing the backup in the lower levels above-ground units.”
05linguistic sounds
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical
adj. describing sounds made by completely closing your mouth for a moment.
adj. referring to a consonant produced by a complete obstruction of the airflow in the vocal tract.
“The letters 'p' and 'b' are examples of stopped sounds.”
“Phonetic analysis reveals that the speaker frequently omits the final stopped consonant when speaking at a natural conversational pace.”
Usage
Usually placed before the noun 'consonant' or 'sound'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From stop + -ed. In some senses, the adjective follows from the verb; in others, it may derive directly from the noun stop.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- 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.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL 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: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · Beginner
- Updated
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