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Glite Dictionary
🌟 Extremely impressive ⛔ Causing a halt
show-stopping

show-stopping

6.3
Causing a project or process to stop because of a serious problem
  • adjective
  • /ˈʃoʊˌstɑːpɪŋ/
translation icon : detenible
  • The production was marred by a show-stopping error that forced the cast to halt during performances.

Examples

  • During the software demonstration, a show-stopping bug appeared, causing the presentation to pause unexpectedly.

  • And they are show-stopping problems.

    Blog text (24)

  • The team encountered a show-stopping issue that required immediate resolution before proceeding with the project.

Antonyms

smooth
204 1.0

Moving or happening in an even, easy way without sudden problems

flawless
76 3.7

Perfect without any mistakes or faults

How Disruptive

catastrophic
144 7.0
crippling
8 5.8
show-stopping
6.3
disruptive
57 5.8
serious
∞ 2.0
problematic
133 5.6
troublesome
49 3.9

Surface Forms

show-stopping positive

Morphology

show-stopping = show + stop (semi-transparent) = show + stopp + ing

The parts 'show' and 'stopping' are recognizable, but this sense is a conventional figurative extension for a serious defect that halts progress.

Etymology

Show-stopping comes from the theater idea of show + stop, meaning 'to stop the show' when a performance cannot continue because of a big problem. So a show-stopping error is a problem so serious it stops a project or launch.