stooping
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. Having a posture characterized by a forward bend of the head and shoulders; not standing or sitting upright. This describes a person whose back is habitually bent forward, often due to age, fatigue, or poor posture.
Usage
The adjective "stooping" is used to describe a person's physical posture. It typically implies a permanent or habitual condition rather than a temporary action. It often carries connotations of age, weakness, or labor.
Examples
- The stooping gardener had spent a lifetime tending to his plants.
- Her stooping figure was silhouetted against the window.
- Years of working at the desk left him with a stooping posture.
Advanced Usage
- "Stooping" as a descriptive participle: While primarily an adjective, "stooping" can function as the present participle of the verb "to stoop," describing the action of bending forward. However, in this adjectival form, it describes a characteristic state.
- The stooping man entered the low doorway. (Here, "stooping" describes his general posture.)
- The man, stooping to pick up the coin, felt a pain in his back. (Here, "stooping" is a verb participle describing the specific action.)
Variants and Related Words
- Stoop (verb): To bend the body forward and downward.
- Stooped (adjective): An alternative past participle form used identically to "stooping" (e.g., "a stooped posture").
- Stoop (noun): A small porch, platform, or staircase leading to the entrance of a house.
Synonyms
- Hunched: Bent over with the back and shoulders rounded.
- Bowed: Bent forward, often implying deference or age.
- Round-shouldered: Having shoulders that curve forward.
- Crooked: Not straight; bent.
Antonyms
- Erect: Upright in posture.
- Straight: Not bent or curved.
- Upright: Vertical and straight.
Adjective
- having the back and shoulders rounded; not erect
- a little oldish misshapen stooping woman