Phrasal verb
drop out
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
drop out
Past
dropped out
Past participle
dropped out
Definition
phrasal verb. to stop doing something before you have finished, such as a school course or a competition.
phrasal verb. to withdraw from an educational program, competition, or social group before completion. The verb is primarily intransitive but frequently takes a prepositional phrase starting with 'of' to specify the activity.
Examples
“He had to drop out of the marathon because his knee hurt.”
“Many students drop out of university during their first year because they find the workload too heavy.”
“The research study faced significant challenges when nearly half of the participants chose to drop out before the final data collection phase.”
Examples
simple
“He had to drop out of the marathon because his knee hurt.”
contextual
“Many students drop out of university during their first year because they find the workload too heavy.”
complex
“The research study faced significant challenges when nearly half of the participants chose to drop out before the final data collection phase.”
Usage
usually requires the preposition 'of' if you name the specific thing you are leaving.
Teaching tip
useful for discussing education systems; mention the noun form 'dropout' to describe a person who leaves school early.
Pitfall
She dropped out the course.
She dropped out of the course.
the preposition 'of' is necessary when the activity or institution is mentioned as an object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
drop + out
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
VERB
PHRASAL VERB
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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