Halt — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adjective /ˈhȯlt/

Meaning & Definition of Halt

Halt (verb)

  1. to cease marching or journeying
  2. discontinue, terminate
  3. to bring to a stop
  4. to walk or proceed with a limp
  5. to be in a state of uncertainty or doubt between alternate courses or choices, waver
  6. to display weakness or imperfection, falter

Halt (noun)

  1. stop

Halt (adjective)

  1. having a manner of walking that is impaired by a limp

Halt (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to bring (something) to a standstill

    "traffic was halted by the parade"

    similar: arrest, bring up, catch, check, draw up, fetch up, hold up, pull up, stall, stay, still, stop
    related: baffle, balk, block, blockade, bottleneck, clog, dam, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, obstruct, snag, stem, conclude, cut off, end, terminate, call, discontinue, suspend, choke off, rein (in), repress, squash, squelch, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back
    near: carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep (on), keep up, persist, run on, advance, fare, go along, march, move, proceed, progress, wend, actuate, budge, drive, goad, impel, propel, push, spur, stir

  2. to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

    "the private eye abruptly halted his surveillance of the building upon being spotted by his subject"

    similar: break, break off, break up, can (slang), cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut off, stop, have done with, put the kibosh on
    related: complete, conclude, finish, close (down), deactivate, block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem, call, suspend, arrest, brake, check, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back, pause, stay, abolish, abort, annul, demolish, destroy, dissolve, kill, ruin, scuttle, snuff
    near: carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep up, run on, advance, proceed, progress, actuate, drive, impel, propel, stir

  3. to come to an end

    "all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff"

    similar: break off, break up, cease, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, die, discontinue, elapse, end, expire, finish, go, lapse, leave off, let up, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up, wink (out), bite the dust
    related: desist (from), lay off (of), refrain (from), give over (British), knock off, pack (up or in), break down, conk (out), cut out, stall, pause, stay, suspend, abate, peter (out), wind down
    opposite: continue, hang on, persist
    near: draw out, extend, prolong, protract

  4. to walk while favoring one leg

    "even with her twisted ankle, she managed to halt along and complete her Walk for Peace"

    similar: hobble, limp
    related: hitch, blunder, falter, flounder, lurch, shamble, shuffle, stagger, stumble, teeter, totter, waver, wobble, dodder
    opposite: stride
    near: breeze, glide, sail

  5. to show uncertainty about the right course of action

    "she was often confused, halting between the responsibilities of her job and the demands of her home life"

    similar: balance, dither, falter, hang back, hesitate, scruple, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble
    related: haw, hem, dally, dawdle, delay, linger, pause, procrastinate, wait, back down, chicken (out), consider, debate, deliberate, ponder, weigh, oscillate, sway, equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, waffle
    opposite: dive (in), plunge (in)
    near: decide, budge, stir, advance, continue

Halt (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in

    "negotiations are at a halt, with neither management nor the union budging on the issue of salary limits"

    similar: deadlock, gridlock, impasse, logjam, Mexican standoff, stalemate, standoff, standstill
    related: dead end, bind, bottleneck, corner, dilemma, fix, hole, jam, morass, pickle, pinch, plight, predicament, quagmire, quandary, spot, difficulty, problem

  2. the stopping of a process or activity

    "gardening came to a halt during the week of solid rain"

    similar: arrest, arrestment, cease, cessation, check, close, closedown, closure, conclusion, cutoff, discontinuance, discontinuation, end, ending, expiration, finish, lapse, offset, shutdown, shutoff, stay, stop, stoppage, surcease, termination
    related: mop-up, phaseout, abeyance, break, interruption, layoff, letup, moratorium, pause, standstill, suspension
    opposite: continuance, continuation
    near: extension, persistence, prolongation

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Halt

The most common words with a similar meaning to Halt:

Slang: can
arrest, bring up, catch, check, draw up, fetch up, hold up, pull up, stall, stay, still, stop, break, break off, break up, cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut off, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, die, elapse, expire, finish, go, lapse, let up

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Halt

Words with the opposite meaning of Halt:

continue, hang on, persist, stride, dive (in), plunge (in), continuance, continuation

Related Words for Halt

baffle, balk, block, blockade, bottleneck, clog, dam, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, obstruct, snag, stem, call, suspend, choke off, rein (in), repress, squash, squelch, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back, complete, close (down), deactivate, delay

Near Antonyms of Halt

carry on, follow through (with), keep (on), keep up, run on, advance, fare, go along, march, move, proceed, progress, wend, actuate, budge, drive, goad, impel, propel, push, spur, stir, draw out, extend, prolong, protract, breeze, glide, sail, decide

Word Forms of Halt

Inflections: halted, halting, halts

Origin & Etymology of Halt

derivative of halt:2

First known use: 1656i

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Halt

Words & Phrases Containing Halt

a crashing halt, bring a halt to, call a halt to, come to a grinding halt, come to a halt, grind to a halt

Frequently Asked Questions about Halt

What does "Halt" mean?

"Halt" means to cease marching or journeying. As an a verb, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to cease marching or journeying. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Halt"?

Other words for "Halt" include arrest, bring up, catch, check, draw up, fetch up, hold up and pull up. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Halt" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Halt"?

There are 192 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Halt". Common alternatives include arrest, bring up, catch, check, draw up, fetch up, hold up, pull up, stall and stay.

What is the opposite of "Halt"?

Antonyms of "Halt" include continue, hang on, persist, stride, dive (in), plunge (in), continuance and continuation. Near antonyms include carry on, follow through (with), keep (on) and keep up.

How do you use "Halt" in a sentence?

Examples of "Halt" in a sentence: "traffic was halted by the parade"; "the private eye abruptly halted his surveillance of the building upon being spotted by his subject"; "all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff".

Is "Halt" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Halt" can be used as a verb, a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Halt" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Halt" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Halt"?

"Halt" is pronounced /ˈhȯlt/.