drop
- 01 A2 Elementary
v.to let something fall from your hand or from a higher place.
v.to release an object so that it falls under the influence of gravity; can be intentional or accidental.
Simple“Be careful not to drop that glass on the hard floor.”
In context“The hiker accidentally dropped his compass into the ravine, leaving the group without a reliable way to navigate back to camp.”
UsageTransitive verb taking a direct object.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
v.to go down in amount, price, or temperature.
v.to decrease in value, volume, or intensity. Often used intransitively.
Simple“The temperature will drop tonight, so wear a warm coat.”
In context“Stock prices dropped sharply following the announcement of the new trade regulations, causing widespread concern among investors.”
UsageCommonly used as an intransitive verb.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to stop doing something or stop talking about a subject.
v.to cease a particular activity, discussion, or relationship.
Simple“I decided to drop the subject because we were starting to argue.”
In context“After three months of poor results, the company decided to drop the project entirely and focus on their core products.”
Synonyms - 04 B1 Intermediate
v.to release a new song, album, or product for people to buy or see.
v.to release a creative work or product to the public market. Highly common in digital contexts.
Simple“The band is going to drop their new album this Friday.”
In context“The tech giant is expected to drop a surprise software update later this evening to address the security vulnerabilities.”
UsageCan be used both transitively and intransitively.
- 05 C1 Advanced
v.to mention a name or a fact casually in a conversation to impress people.
v.to mention something, especially a famous person's name, in an incidental way to gain social status.
Simple“He likes to drop the names of famous actors he has met.”
In context“During the interview, she managed to drop the fact that she had studied at Oxford, hoping it would give her an edge.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'name-dropping'.
- 06 A2 Elementary
- 07 B1 Intermediate
n.a reduction in the amount or level of something.
n.a decline or reduction in quantity, value, or degree.
Simple“There has been a big drop in crime this year.”
In context“The sudden drop in pressure indicated that a severe storm was approaching the coast.”
- 08 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the distance from a high place down to a lower place.
n.the vertical distance from a higher level to a lower one.
Simple“It is a sixty-foot drop from the top of the cliff to the water.”
In context“The architect warned that the sheer drop from the balcony required a reinforced safety railing to meet building codes.”
- 09 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the part of a dance song where the beat and bass come back strongly.
n.the point in an electronic dance music track where a build-up resolves into a heavy bassline or beat.
Simple“The crowd went wild when the drop finally happened.”
In context“The producer spent hours perfecting the tension in the bridge to ensure the drop would have maximum impact on the dance floor.”
Synonyms
Usage drops water · rate drop
Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *dropōn Old English dropian Middle English droppen Proto-Indo-European *dʰrbʰ-néh₂- Proto-Indo-European *dʰrebʰ- Proto-Germanic *dreupaną Proto-Germanic *druppōną Proto-Germanic *drupô Proto-West Germanic *dropō Old English dropa ▲ Middle English droppen Middle English drope ▲ Middle English droppen Middle English droppe English drop From Late Middle English droppe, Middle English drope (“small quantity of liquid; small or least amount of something; pendant jewel; dripping of a liquid; a shower; nasal flow, catarrh; speck, spot; blemish; disease causing spots on the skin”) [and other forms], from Old English dropa (“a drop”), from Proto-West Germanic dropō (“drop (of liquid)”), from Proto-Germanic drupô (“drop (of liquid)”),, from dreupaną (“to drip, droop”), from Proto-Indo-European dʰrebʰ- (“to drip, drop”). Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian Droupe, Druppe (“drop”), Dutch drop, drup (“droplet”), German Tropfen (“drop”), German Low German Drüpp (“drop”), Luxembourgish Drëps (“drop”), Vilamovian tropa, troppa (“drop”), Yiddish טראָפּן (tropn, “drop”), Danish dråbe (“drop”), Faroese and Icelandic dropi (“drop”), Norwegian Bokmål dråpe (“drop”), Norwegian Nynorsk drope, dråpå (“drop”), Swedish droppe (“drop”).
Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *dropōn Old English dropian Middle English droppen Proto-Indo-European *dʰrbʰ-néh₂- Proto-Indo-European *dʰrebʰ- Proto-Germanic *dreupaną Proto-Germanic *druppōną Proto-Germanic *drupô Proto-West Germanic *dropō Old English dropa ▲ Middle English droppen Middle English drope ▲ Middle English droppen Middle English droppe English drop From Middle English droppen, dropen (“to fall in drops, drip or trickle down; to scatter, sprinkle; to be covered with a liquid; to give off moisture; of an object: to drop, fall; of a living being: to fall to the ground”) [and other forms], from Old English droppian, dropian (“to drop”), from Proto-West Germanic dropōn, from Proto-Germanic drupōną (“to fall in drops, drip”), ultimately from dreupaną (“to hang, droop; drop, drip”), from Proto-Indo-European dʰrebʰ- (“to drip, drop”). Cognates Cognate with West Frisian drippe (“to drip”), Dutch druipen (“to drip”), German triefen (“to drip”), Yiddish טריפֿן (trifn, “to drip”), Icelandic drjúpa (“to drip”), Norwegian Nynorsk drjupa, drypa, drype (“to drip”), Swedish drypa (“to drip”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.