German word

stocken

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃtɔkən/

Meaning

  • verbstall

Example

Der Verkehr stockt auf der Autobahn.

Traffic is stalled on the highway.

Illustration for stocken (stall)

More examples

Die Verhandlungen stocken, weil kein Kompromiss gefunden wurde.

The negotiations are stalled because no compromise was found.

Core concept

A stream of movement loses its smooth flow when one part catches and holds everything up.

Common phrases

  • Die Kommunikation stockt

    communication stalls

  • Atem stockt

    breath catches

  • Prozess stockt

    Process stagnates

Similar words

zögern: To hold back briefly because of uncertainty.
stottern: To speak haltingly, with repeated sounds or blocked words.
unterbrechen: To bring an ongoing activity or conversation to a stop.
verzögern: To slow the start or progress of something by causing delay.

Definition in German

beim Sprechen oder bei einem Ablauf plötzlich stocken; nicht mehr flüssig weitergehen

Word origin

The Middle High German form stocken continues an older Germanic verb whose sense centers on stopping or becoming caught, extending naturally to movement and speech.

Usage tips

  • The causative phrase etwas stocken lassen takes the stalled process as its object, as in Der Unfall lässt den Verkehr stocken.

Other meanings

  • stagnateverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Stockungstagnationnoun
  • Stockungsphasestagnation phasenoun

Word lists with this word