# drop in

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/drop-in
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

To visit someone for a short time without making a plan or appointment first.

For teachers: To pay a brief, informal visit, typically without prior arrangement. The verb is often used intransitively or followed by 'on' for people and 'at' for locations.

## Examples

- Please drop in whenever you are in the neighborhood.
- We were just passing through the village, so we decided to drop in and see how they were doing.
- While the CEO rarely schedules formal inspections, she frequently drops in to observe the factory floor operations firsthand and engage with the staff.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I dropped in my friend yesterday." but "I dropped in on my friend yesterday." — When followed by a person, the preposition 'on' is required.

## Usage notes

- Often used with 'on' when mentioning the person you are visiting.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'visit' (more formal/planned) and 'stop by' (very similar, often interchangeable in American English).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.