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Glite Dictionary
to stop cold

to stop cold

3 5.2
Freeze and stay completely still because of surprise or fear
  • phrasal verb
  • /stɑp koʊld/
  • Informal
translation icon : detenerse en seco
  • He stopped cold at the unexpected news, unable to move or speak.
  • then he stopped cold
  • just stopped cold
  • stopped cold and looks

I mean, alcohol is, I think it's only, there are only two drugs out there that if you stop cold Turkey, you can die.

Examples

  • They stopped cold in their tracks when a loud noise startled them.

  • She stopped cold when she saw the strange creature in the garden.

  • And I just stop cold.

    If I Stay (2014)

  • And then he stops cold.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Harry comes around the corner and stops cold.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • If she stops cold, the shock to her system could kill her.

    Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

  • When he reaches the top, he stops cold.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • At one point, the astrologer, while reading her chart, stopped cold.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Boyle stopped cold, mouth wide open, frozen like a movie frame stuck in the projector gate.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Nicole stops cold, completely thrown by Cora jumping her line.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

to cut off
vsto stop cold
620 3.8

To stop something suddenly before it is finished

is sudden cessation caused by inner fear or surprise rather than external blocking
to shock
vsto stop cold
202 2.1

To cause someone to feel sudden surprise and distress

is a cause while the key is the sudden reaction to that cause
to break off
vsto stop cold
50 3.2

To stop something suddenly before it is finished, for example a talk or relationship

focuses on ending an ongoing action abruptly because of shock or fear
to come to a halt
vsto stop cold
  • Informal
13 3.4

Stop moving or working completely

is tied to a sudden emotional reaction rather than neutral inactivity
to stop dead
vsto stop cold
  • Informal
12 3.9

To suddenly become completely still because you are surprised

is the same sudden reaction caused by fear or surprise
to stop (someone) in (their) tracks
vsto stop cold
  • Informal
3 3.9

To suddenly stop moving or speaking because you are surprised

means a person ceases action rather than someone making them cease
to freeze like a deer in the headlights
vsto stop cold
  • Informal
7.7

Suddenly stop moving because you feel afraid or surprised

is the same sudden immobility but can be from shock not only fear

Antonyms

to start
∞ 1.0

To begin an action, event or process

to continue
∞ 1.0

To keep doing something without stopping

How Sudden

to freeze
244 1.6
to stop cold
  • Informal
3 5.2
to halt
206 2.4
to slow down
687 1.4

Surface Forms

stop cold infinitive
stopped cold past
stopped cold past participle
stopping cold present participle
stops cold third person singular

Morphology

stop + cold

The core meaning ('to stop suddenly and completely') is directly tied to 'stop', but 'cold' functions as a metaphorical intensifier indicating abruptness/completeness rather than its literal temperature sense. Because the intensifying use of 'cold' is somewhat idiomatic and may not be predictable to a B1 learner from the constituent meanings alone (and similar patterns vary cross-linguistically), this is best judged as partially but not fully transparent.

Etymology

Stop cold comes from the image of a person or an engine freezing in very cold weather and suddenly unable to move. One popular story says the word cold makes the stop feel complete and frozen, so the phrase now means 'to stop suddenly and completely', often because of shock or fear.