halt

¹ American  

[hawlt] / hɔlt /

verb (used without object)

1. to stop; cease moving, operating, etc., either permanently or temporarily.

   They halted for lunch and strolled about.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause to stop temporarily or permanently; bring to a stop.

   They halted operations during contract negotiations.

noun

1. a temporary or permanent stop.

   Synonyms:

   stoppage, stop, standstill, suspension, cessation

interjection

1. (used as a command to stop and stand motionless, as to marching troops or to a fleeing suspect.)

halt ² American  

[hawlt] / hɔlt /

verb (used without object)

1. to falter, as in speech, reasoning, etc.; be hesitant; stumble.

2. to be in doubt; waver between alternatives; vacillate.

3. Archaic. to be lame; walk lamely; limp.

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adjective

1. Archaic. lame; limping.

noun

1. Archaic. lameness; a limp.

2. (used with a plural verb) lame people, especially severely lamed ones (usually preceded bythe ).

   the halt and the blind.

halt ¹ British  

/ hɔːlt /

verb

1. (esp of logic or verse) to falter or be defective

2. to waver or be unsure

3. archaic to be lame

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adjective

1. archaic

   1. lame

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the halt

noun

1. archaic lameness

halt ² British  

/ hɔːlt /

noun

1. an interruption or end to activity, movement, or progress

2. a minor railway station, without permanent buildings

3. to put an end (to something); stop

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noun

1. a command to halt, esp as an order when marching

verb

1. to come or bring to a halt

halt Idioms  

1. see call a halt; come to a halt; grind to a halt.

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Related Words

See stop.

Other Word Forms

• haltless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of halt¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from the phrase make halt for German halt machen; see hold ¹

Origin of halt²

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English healt; cognate with Old High German halz, Old Norse haltr, Gothic halts, akin to Latin clādēs “damage, loss”

Explanation

Whether it's used as a noun or a verb, the word halt means stop. You can remember this by remembering that when you step on the brake to halt your car (verb), it comes to a halt (noun). English draws on both Romance and Germanic languages, and halt is one that comes from the Old High German haltmachen, which means "to hold." The word suggests a stoppage in the midst of action, and a Chinese proverb states, “We are not so much concerned if you are slow as when you come to a halt.” Consider, also, that a less-used definition of the word is that of "lame" or disabled, which still ties in with the idea of stopping.

Example Sentences

Gold futures wavered after India’s Prime Minister urged citizens to halt gold purchases for a year.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

The move comes after the government seized control of British Steel's Scunthorpe steelworks from its Chinese owners Jingye in April last year in order to halt the potential closure of its blast furnances.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

Many moms didn’t recover until nearly two years later, and their maternal scream still echoed across the media landscape long after the world first ground to a halt.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

Bianco slammed Bonta for trying to halt his investigation, which he said was “probably one of the most easy criminal investigations you could ever, ever imagine” and normal work for a sheriff.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

The driver slammed on the brakes, and the rear of the sports car fishtailed all the way around until it slid to a screeching halt against the curb.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

• adjourn
• arrest
• bar
• block
• break off
• cease
• curb
• deter
• end
• hamper
• impede
• interrupt
• stall
• stem
• stop
• suspend
• terminate