flop
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to sit or lie down heavily because you are very tired or relaxed.
v.to fall or sit down suddenly and heavily, typically due to exhaustion or a lack of physical tension.
Simple“After working for ten hours, he just wanted to flop onto the sofa.”
In context“Exhausted by the marathon, the runner flopped onto the grass the moment she crossed the finishing line.”
UsageOften used with prepositions like 'on', 'onto', or 'down'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to fail completely, especially a movie, book, or business idea.
v.to be completely unsuccessful; used primarily for commercial or creative projects that fail to meet expectations.
Simple“The expensive superhero movie flopped at the box office.”
In context“Despite a massive marketing campaign, the startup's new social media app flopped within three months of its release.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to fall down on purpose in a game to make the referee think you were fouled.
v.to deliberately fall or stumble to deceive an official into calling a foul on an opponent.
Simple“The basketball player flopped to get a free throw, but the ref saw it.”
In context“The league began fining players who flopped, hoping to discourage the practice of exaggerating contact to manipulate the officials.”
Teacher's tipCommon in American English for basketball; British English speakers usually use 'dive' for the same action in football (soccer).
Synonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person or thing that is a total failure.
n.a complete failure, particularly a theatrical production, film, or commercial product.
Simple“The party was a total flop because nobody showed up.”
In context“Critics predicted the play would be a hit, but it turned out to be a commercial flop and closed after one week.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
adv.completely or directly, often describing how someone falls.
adv.in a flat, heavy, or direct manner; often used to describe the sound or motion of a fall.
Simple“He fell flop on his face in the middle of the playground.”
In context“The fish landed flop on the deck of the boat, startling the young fisherman.”
A syllabic acronym from floating-point operation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.