stalls
stalls — verb
1. an engine or vehicle that stalls suddenly stops operating, often because the mot
an engine or vehicle that stalls suddenly stops operating, often because the motor is not receiving enough fuel or power; a driver can also cause this to happen by mistake
Theo's car stalled at the traffic lights and he could not restart it.
intransitive: [vehicle] stalls at [place]
Mei-Lin stalled the engine twice while trying to park on the narrow street.
transitive: stall + engine
The old motorcycle stalled in the middle of the bridge during the morning rain.
A learner driver stalled his van at the junction and felt very embarrassed.
- start
to begin running, opposite of stalling
文法句型
stall [engine/vehicle]
[engine] stalls
用法筆記
Commonly used intransitively of the engine itself (the engine stalls) or transitively when someone causes it (she stalled the car). Frequent in driving contexts.
常見錯誤
2. to hold back from answering or taking action, especially in a way that creates e
to hold back from answering or taking action, especially in a way that creates extra time to decide or gain an advantage
The politician stalled for time by asking the reporter to repeat the question.
stall + for time
When Kenji asked about the deadline, Amara stalled and promised to reply next week.
The company is stalling on the contract while they wait for cheaper materials from a new supplier.
Instead of answering the landlord's question about the rent, Yuki stalled by changing the subject.
- delay
more neutral, can be transitive or intransitive
- procrastinate
implies putting off a task deliberately, more formal
- act
to take action instead of delaying
文法句型
stall + for + [time]
stall + on + [decision/subject]
用法筆記
Intransitive only; you cannot 'stall someone' in this sense. The object is always a time period (for time, for a week) or a topic (on the issue, on the decision).
常見錯誤
3. to deliberately prevent someone from doing something or make them wait, often by
to deliberately prevent someone from doing something or make them wait, often by giving excuses or distracting them
The receptionist stalled the visitors while the manager prepared for the meeting.
transitive: stall + person
Javier stalled his creditors by claiming the payment was already in the mail.
Fatima tried to stall the security guard long enough for her friend to escape through the back door.
The lawyer accused the company of stalling the investigators with unnecessary paperwork requests.
- expedite
to speed up a process or person
文法句型
stall + [person]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense requires a person as object (transitive), whereas sense 2 is intransitive and always about delaying an action or decision.
常見錯誤
4. to make a process, event, or series of talks stop making progress, or to be prev
to make a process, event, or series of talks stop making progress, or to be prevented from advancing
The peace talks stalled after neither side agreed to the ceasefire terms.
intransitive: [talks/process] stall
A lack of funding stalled the construction project for nearly six months.
transitive: [factor] stalls + [project]
Negotiations stalled when the union rejected the company's latest salary offer.
The government's new policy was stalled by opposition from three key ministers.
文法句型
stall + [event/process]
[negotiations/talks] stall
用法筆記
Often used with abstract subjects like 'talks', 'negotiations', 'progress', 'a project', or 'a career'. The passive form (be stalled by + reason) is common.
常見錯誤
stalls — noun
1. a small shop or open-fronted table from which goods are sold, usually in a marke
a small shop or open-fronted table from which goods are sold, usually in a market, street fair, or other public area
Every Saturday the market square fills with stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables.
plural: stalls selling [goods]
Linnea rented a stall at the craft fair to sell her handmade jewellery.
The flower stall on the corner of the street has the best roses in the neighbourhood.
Dmitri bought a sandwich from a food stall near the train station.
At the winter market, each stall was decorated with colourful lights and warm blankets.
用法筆記
Countable. Often used in compound nouns describing the type of goods sold: 'food stall', 'market stall', 'book stall', 'flower stall'. Common in both singular (a stall) and plural (stalls).
常見錯誤
2. a small enclosed space within a farm building or stable where a single animal, e
a small enclosed space within a farm building or stable where a single animal, especially a horse or cow, is kept
Each horse has its own stall inside the stable with fresh straw on the floor.
[animal] + stall + in/inside + [stable/barn]
Oluwaseun cleaned the cow stalls every morning before milking the herd.
The mare was restless in her stall because she could hear the other horses in the paddock.
The farmer built new stalls for the goats using wooden boards and metal gates.
- pen
usually outdoor and larger, for multiple animals
- compartment
more general, less specific to farming
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'stable' (the whole building) and 'pen' (outdoor enclosure). A stall is specifically an individual compartment, usually indoors. Common in farming contexts.
3. a small section of a room that is partly separated from the surrounding space by
a small section of a room that is partly separated from the surrounding space by partitions, screens, or curtains
The public bathroom had six shower stalls, but only three of them had working hot water.
[type] stall: shower stall
Wei changed into his swimming trunks inside a changing stall at the pool.
The office used to be open-plan, but now each desk is inside its own glass-walled stall.
Hana hung her towel on the hook inside the toilet stall and locked the door.
- cubicle
more common for office workspaces, interchangeable for bathrooms
- compartment
more formal, used for trains, storage
用法筆記
Most common in compounds: 'shower stall', 'toilet stall', 'changing stall'. In an office context, 'cubicle' is more common in American English.
常見錯誤
4. one of a row of fixed wooden seats with high sides and a back, found in a church
one of a row of fixed wooden seats with high sides and a back, found in a church or cathedral, typically used by the choir or clergy
The choir sat in the carved oak stalls at the front of the cathedral during the Sunday service.
plural: stalls in church context
Each medieval stall in the chapel was decorated with intricate carvings of leaves and animals.
Priya admired the beautiful wooden stalls where the monks had sung their prayers for centuries.
The bishop rose from his stall to address the congregation gathered in the nave.
用法筆記
Often used in the plural ('choir stalls', 'the stalls') to refer to the whole row. Individual stalls are identified by carved details and were historically reserved for clergy, choir members, or important figures.
5. the section of seating on the lowest level of a theatre or cinema, nearest to th
the section of seating on the lowest level of a theatre or cinema, nearest to the performance area and on the same floor height
We booked seats in the stalls because we wanted to be close to the stage.
British: the stalls = ground-floor seating
Theatre tickets for the stalls cost more than those in the balcony or the dress circle.
Carlos could see the actors' expressions perfectly from his seat in the front row of the stalls.
The cinema has three seating sections: the stalls, the mezzanine, and the balcony.
- orchestra
American English equivalent
- ground floor seats
descriptive, neutral term
用法筆記
Primarily British English. In American English, the equivalent is 'orchestra' or 'orchestra seats'. Always used in the plural ('the stalls', 'in the stalls').