Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
stop short. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
stop short, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
stop short in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
stop short you have here. The definition of the word
stop short will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
stop short, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Verb
stop short (third-person singular simple present stops short, present participle stopping short, simple past and past participle stopped short)
- To come to a sudden and unexpected stop, particularly while speaking or driving a vehicle.
1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:He had only taken a step forward into the room when he again stopped short to exclaim.
- (usually with of) To voluntarily cease an attempt to reach a certain point.
- Synonym: hold back
1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider ”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A Munsey Company, , published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1:Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.
2022 December 15, Jack Royston, “Prince Harry throws more accusations at Prince William than ever before”, in Newsweek:He stopped short of saying the story was true but accused the palace of lying when they "squashed" it.
- (with of) To come to a stop before reaching a certain point.
2020 December 30, Tim Dunn, “The railway's mechanical marvels”, in Rail, page 58, photo caption:Thirteen people were injured in August 1957 when this Bristol freighter skidded on the runway at Southend Airport when landing with a flight from Calais. It ploughed through the boundary fence, but thankfully stopped short of the railway and the 1,500V overhead wires. A tripwire was installed on this section of Shenfield-Southend line to warn train drivers of instances such as this.
See also
References
Anagrams