"sticking point" meaning in English

See sticking point in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-sticking point.ogg [Australia] Forms: sticking points [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} sticking point (plural sticking points)
  1. (idiomatic) A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation. Tags: idiomatic
    Sense id: en-sticking_point-en-noun-hdcAo3xV Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 64 36
  2. (idiomatic, dated) The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place. Tags: dated, idiomatic Synonyms: sticking-point
    Sense id: en-sticking_point-en-noun-2KPqJynf

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for sticking point meaning in English (3.8kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sticking points",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "sticking point (plural sticking points)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1934 July 30, “41,000 Years' Work”, in Time",
          "text": "The question of representing inside workers was a sticking point.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2002, H. Robert Hall, \"Casey and the Negotiation of the Antarctic Treaty\" in Jabour-Green, J. & Haward, M. (eds.) The Antarctic: Past, Present and Future: Antarctic CRC Research Report #28, Hobart, pp.27-33",
          "text": "A major sticking point had arisen over draft article IV of the proposed treaty dealing with the disputed Antarctic claims and rights."
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 December 14, Mel Holley, “Network News: Strikes go on as RMT rejects RDG's \"detrimental\" offer”, in RAIL, number 972, page 8",
          "text": "A key sticking point is RDG's requirement of introducing driver-only operation (DOO) on all routes where it can be installed now, and for all future new train deliveries.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2024 March 8, Ellen Townsend – Policy Director, “Opinion – Will Foreign Drivers Continue Getting Away with Breaking the Law?”, in ETSC",
          "text": "The sticking point is over whether the legislation can be used for enforcement of ‘Urban Vehicle Access Regulations’ (UVARs) such as the Stockholm congestion charge, or the Brussels low emissions zone (which bans the most polluting vehicles).",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation."
      ],
      "id": "en-sticking_point-en-noun-hdcAo3xV",
      "links": [
        [
          "disputed",
          "disputed"
        ],
        [
          "issue",
          "issue"
        ],
        [
          "state of affairs",
          "state of affairs"
        ],
        [
          "interruption",
          "interruption"
        ],
        [
          "impasse",
          "impasse"
        ],
        [
          "progress",
          "progress"
        ],
        [
          "towards",
          "towards"
        ],
        [
          "goal",
          "goal"
        ],
        [
          "resolution",
          "resolution"
        ],
        [
          "negotiation",
          "negotiation"
        ],
        [
          "argumentation",
          "argumentation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1842, James Fennimore Cooper, chapter 4, in The Wing and Wing",
          "text": "It warmed his feelings to the sticking point.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1913, Lucy Maud Montgomery, chapter 3, in The Golden Road",
          "text": "I could not screw my courage to the sticking point.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place."
      ],
      "id": "en-sticking_point-en-noun-2KPqJynf",
      "links": [
        [
          "process",
          "process"
        ],
        [
          "thing",
          "thing"
        ],
        [
          "state of mind",
          "state of mind"
        ],
        [
          "emotion",
          "emotion"
        ],
        [
          "strength",
          "strength"
        ],
        [
          "steadfast",
          "steadfast"
        ],
        [
          "sticking-place",
          "sticking-place"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, dated) The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "11 89",
          "word": "sticking-point"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-sticking point.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/39/En-au-sticking_point.ogg/En-au-sticking_point.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/En-au-sticking_point.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sticking point"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with audio links"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sticking points",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "sticking point (plural sticking points)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1934 July 30, “41,000 Years' Work”, in Time",
          "text": "The question of representing inside workers was a sticking point.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2002, H. Robert Hall, \"Casey and the Negotiation of the Antarctic Treaty\" in Jabour-Green, J. & Haward, M. (eds.) The Antarctic: Past, Present and Future: Antarctic CRC Research Report #28, Hobart, pp.27-33",
          "text": "A major sticking point had arisen over draft article IV of the proposed treaty dealing with the disputed Antarctic claims and rights."
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 December 14, Mel Holley, “Network News: Strikes go on as RMT rejects RDG's \"detrimental\" offer”, in RAIL, number 972, page 8",
          "text": "A key sticking point is RDG's requirement of introducing driver-only operation (DOO) on all routes where it can be installed now, and for all future new train deliveries.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2024 March 8, Ellen Townsend – Policy Director, “Opinion – Will Foreign Drivers Continue Getting Away with Breaking the Law?”, in ETSC",
          "text": "The sticking point is over whether the legislation can be used for enforcement of ‘Urban Vehicle Access Regulations’ (UVARs) such as the Stockholm congestion charge, or the Brussels low emissions zone (which bans the most polluting vehicles).",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "disputed",
          "disputed"
        ],
        [
          "issue",
          "issue"
        ],
        [
          "state of affairs",
          "state of affairs"
        ],
        [
          "interruption",
          "interruption"
        ],
        [
          "impasse",
          "impasse"
        ],
        [
          "progress",
          "progress"
        ],
        [
          "towards",
          "towards"
        ],
        [
          "goal",
          "goal"
        ],
        [
          "resolution",
          "resolution"
        ],
        [
          "negotiation",
          "negotiation"
        ],
        [
          "argumentation",
          "argumentation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English dated terms",
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1842, James Fennimore Cooper, chapter 4, in The Wing and Wing",
          "text": "It warmed his feelings to the sticking point.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1913, Lucy Maud Montgomery, chapter 3, in The Golden Road",
          "text": "I could not screw my courage to the sticking point.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "process",
          "process"
        ],
        [
          "thing",
          "thing"
        ],
        [
          "state of mind",
          "state of mind"
        ],
        [
          "emotion",
          "emotion"
        ],
        [
          "strength",
          "strength"
        ],
        [
          "steadfast",
          "steadfast"
        ],
        [
          "sticking-place",
          "sticking-place"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, dated) The point at which a process or thing, especially a state of mind or emotion, reaches its greatest strength and remains steadfast; sticking-place."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-sticking point.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/39/En-au-sticking_point.ogg/En-au-sticking_point.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/En-au-sticking_point.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "sticking-point"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sticking point"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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