flip
- 01 A2 Elementary
v.to turn something over quickly so that the other side is facing up.
v.to toss or move something so as to cause it to turn over or rotate end over end.
Simple“He used a spatula to flip the pancakes before they burned.”
In context“The gymnast managed to flip twice in the air before landing perfectly on the mat.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to become very angry, excited, or lose control of your emotions.
v.to lose emotional control, typically manifesting as extreme anger or sudden enthusiasm.
Simple“My dad is going to flip when he sees the dent in his car.”
In context“The crowd began to flip with excitement as the lead singer walked onto the stage for the encore.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to buy something and sell it quickly to make a profit, especially a house.
v.to purchase an asset and resell it within a short timeframe for a capital gain, often after making minor improvements.
Simple“They plan to flip the old house after fixing the kitchen and garden.”
In context“Speculators often attempt to flip luxury apartments before the construction is even completed to capitalise on rising market prices.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to change a computer value from 0 to 1, or 1 to 0.
v.to invert a binary digit (bit), changing its state to the opposite value.
Simple“The software will flip the bit to indicate that the file has been saved.”
In context“A single cosmic ray can occasionally flip a bit in a computer's memory, leading to unpredictable system errors.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to change from one side or opinion to the opposite one.
v.to change a political allegiance or a legal position, such as testifying against former associates.
Simple“The witness decided to flip and tell the police everything about the gang.”
In context“Political analysts were surprised when the traditionally conservative county flipped to the liberal candidate in the final hours of counting.”
- 06 B1 Intermediate
n.a quick movement that turns something over or around.
n.a maneuver involving the rotation of an object or person end over end.
Simple“With a flip of a coin, they decided who would go first in the game.”
In context“The diver performed a spectacular back flip from the highest board, earning a perfect score from the judges.”
Synonymsrotationsomersault - 07 C1 Advanced
adj.showing a lack of respect or not being serious enough about something important.
adj.lacking proper respect or seriousness; characterized by a casual or dismissive attitude.
Simple“I didn't like his flip remark about the accident; it wasn't funny.”
In context“Her flip response to the board's concerns suggested she did not fully grasp the gravity of the financial crisis.”
SynonymsAntonyms
“The order of who will play whom is decided on the flip of a coin before each show every night.”
“On the flip side, 15 percent of Spaniards surveyed said they never tip.”
Contraction of --- a clipping of Filipino.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.