What does stoop mean?
To “stoop” is to bend the body downward, especially to pass beneath something low or avoid an obstacle. The word also has a figurative sense: to “stoop to” someone’s behavior means to lower your standards by tolerating insults, cruelty, or other objectionable conduct. As a noun, a “stoop” is a small flight of steps at the entrance of a building, especially in North American English; it may also refer to the act of bending or to a stooped posture. The vocabulary is formal and traditional rather than slang. It is especially useful because one word links an ordinary physical action with the broader idea of lowering oneself, whether physically, socially, or morally.
To bend the body or lower the head, especially to pass under an obstacle or reach a lower level.
"She stooped beneath the branches and continued along the path."
The figurative phrase “stoop to” means to lower one’s standards or accept degrading treatment.
A set of steps at the entrance of a building, especially one leading up from a pavement.
"Wait for me on the front stoop."
This sense is especially common in North American English.
An act or posture of bending the body downward.
"With a slow stoop, he picked up the dropped keys."
This sense is less frequent than the noun meaning entrance steps and is somewhat literary.
Used for separate sets of entrance steps; the plural is uncommon in modern English.
"The townhouses have elegant stoops facing the street."
A stoop can be a humble bend, a place to sit, or a concession to wrongdoing: “stoop to” means to lower your standards.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stoop come from?
The verb descends from Old English “stopian,” meaning to bend or bow, and its development is parallel to that of “stump” and related forms. The noun meaning the entrance steps entered English through Dutch “stoep,” a borrowing attested in the 17th century and ultimately associated with a Germanic word for a step or stoep. The two senses are now usually distinguished by context but are not unrelated in their histories.
Related word forms
How stoop is actually used
In its physical sense, “stoop” is common in formal and literary English but less common in everyday speech than “bend” or “crouch.” The expression “stoop to” is negative and means to accept conduct or standards that one considers degrading.