stooped; stooping; stoops
1
a
: to bend the body or a part of the body forward and downward sometimes simultaneously bending the knees
b
: to stand or walk with a forward inclination of the head, body, or shoulders
3
a
: to descend from a superior rank, dignity, or status
b
: to lower oneself morally
stooped to lying
4
a
archaic
: to move down from a height : alight
b
: to fly or dive down swiftly usually to attack prey
1
a
: an act of bending the body forward
b
: a temporary or habitual forward bend of the back and shoulders
2
: the descent of a bird especially on its prey
3
: a lowering of oneself
: a porch, platform, entrance stairway, or small veranda at a house door
Examples of stoop in a Sentence
Verb
She stooped down to hug the child.
He had to stoop to pick it up.
He tends to stoop as he walks.
He really did that? I didn't think he could stoop so low.
Noun (2)
the stoop at the front entrance is just big enough to shield a resident from the elements as he fumbles for his keys
Recent Examples on the Web
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2025
Dier was stooping slightly but the Portuguese midfielder’s leg was at least chest-high.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Kim Velsey, Curbed, 20 Oct. 2025
Following her conversations with Lythcott, one point of reference Escobedo returned to was the residential stoop, where so many of Harlem’s residents spend their time with their families and neighbors.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stoop
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Verb
Daniels said, arguing that no past Republicans would’ve stooped to such a level.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2025
Dier was stooping slightly but the Portuguese midfielder’s leg was at least chest-high.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Renderings submitted with the application show some cosmetic changes to the townhouse façades, including a stoop removed for ADA compliance, new (seemingly code-compliant) double glass doors, and fireproof concrete siding in lieu of wood.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 20 Oct. 2025
Following her conversations with Lythcott, one point of reference Escobedo returned to was the residential stoop, where so many of Harlem’s residents spend their time with their families and neighbors.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stoop
Cite this Entry
“Stoop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoop. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stoop
1 of 3 verb1
a
: to bend down or over
b
: to stand or walk with the head and shoulders or the upper part of the body bent forward
2
: to degrade oneself
stoop to lying
stoop
2 of 3 noun1
: an act of bending the body forward
2
: a forward bend of the back and shoulders that is temporary or by habit
stoop
3 of 3 noun
: a porch, platform, or entrance stairway at a house door
Etymology
Verb
Old English stūpian "to stoop, bend over"
Noun
from Dutch stoep "porch, stoop"
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