stopping

stopping — verb

1. the form of the verb 'stop' that ends in '-ing', used with 'be' to describe an a

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA1
Definition

the form of the verb 'stop' that ends in '-ing', used with 'be' to describe an action that is or was continuing over a period ('the train was stopping'), used on its own like a noun ('Stopping every few minutes made the trip longer'), or placed before another noun to describe something that makes something stop ('stopping distance').

Example

The rain is finally stopping, so Tara can take the dog for a walk.

continuous present: is + stopping

Rafael kept stopping to check his phone every time it buzzed.

keep + -ing for repeated action

Common collocations
  • keep stopping
  • without stopping
  • stopping distance
  • stopping power
  • stopping short

Grammar Patterns

be + stopping

keep + stopping

without + stopping

Usage Note

The form 'stopping' appears in continuous tenses (be + stopping) to emphasise that the action was or is in progress. As a gerund, it can be the subject or object of a clause. In compound nouns like 'stopping distance' or 'stopping power', it functions adjectivally.

Common Mistakes

He is stop the car.
He is stopping the car.
After forms of 'be', use the -ing form, not the base verb.
It's important stopping to rest.
It's important to stop to rest.
After certain adjectives, use the infinitive ('to stop'), not the gerund.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

While 'stopping', 'ceasing', 'halting', and 'pausing' all relate to an action coming to an end, they differ in nuance. 'Stopping' is the most general and frequent word, used for anything from a machine to a person to a process. 'Ceasing' is more formal and suggests a complete, often permanent end ('The company ceased operations'). 'Halting' often implies a sudden or forceful stop ('The project halted due to lack of funds'). 'Pausing' suggests a temporary break with an expected resumption ('She paused to catch her breath'). In everyday speech, 'stopping' is by far the most natural choice for most situations.

ceasinghaltingpausing

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • without stopping
  • keep stopping
  • can't stop -ing

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishLate LatinGreek

'Stopping' is the present participle of 'stop', which comes from Old English 'stoppian' (to stop up, block, close), probably from Late Latin 'stuppare' (to stop up with a plug, from 'stuppa' — tow, oakum). The sense of 'cease, come to a halt' developed in the 15th–16th centuries.