drop
/drɒp/ (bre, ipa) · /drɑːp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdräp/ (ame, mw)
drop — verb
1. to release your grip on something so that it goes down toward the floor or groun
to release your grip on something so that it goes down toward the floor or ground, often without meaning to; or to go down from a higher position to a lower one
Minho accidentally dropped his phone on the kitchen floor and cracked the screen.
transitive: drop + object (phone)
The glass slipped from Élise's hand and dropped onto the stone step below.
intransitive: drop onto [surface]
Kabir dropped the heavy suitcase when he reached the top of the stairs.
A ripe apple broke free from the branch and dropped into the long grass beneath the tree.
文法句型
drop + object
drop (no object)
用法筆記
This sense covers both accidental falls (drop a cup) and deliberate releases (drop a rope). The transitive form requires a direct object; the intransitive form describes the object that falls as the subject.
常見錯誤
2. to fall down suddenly because you are very ill, injured, or exhausted; to die wi
to fall down suddenly because you are very ill, injured, or exhausted; to die without warning
During the marathon, two runners dropped from heat exhaustion near the fifteenth kilometre.
intransitive: drop from [cause]
The old horse had been ill for weeks and finally dropped in the pasture one morning.
After working three double shifts in a row, Dahlia came home and simply dropped onto the sofa.
People used to say that you could drop dead from shock, but that is very rare in reality.
文法句型
drop (no object)
drop dead
用法筆記
Frequently used in the fixed phrase 'drop dead' as an exclamation (informal, rude) or literally. In narrative descriptions of death from illness or old age, 'drop' is less common in modern English than 'pass away' or 'die'.
3. to send someone a short, informal written message, such as a letter, email, or t
to send someone a short, informal written message, such as a letter, email, or text
Ramón promised to drop his grandmother a postcard while he was travelling around Japan.
drop + person + a postcard
If you hear about any job openings, please drop me an email and let me know.
Sari dropped a quick message to her classmates about the change in the meeting time.
Christopher said he would drop us a line as soon as his flight landed in Bangkok.
文法句型
drop + somebody + a line / note / message
用法筆記
Commonly used in the fixed expressions 'drop someone a line' (write a short letter) and 'drop someone a note'. The message is always short and informal — do not use this for formal letters or official documents.
常見錯誤
4. to mention a topic or piece of information as though by chance, often to test ho
to mention a topic or piece of information as though by chance, often to test how someone responds or to share news without appearing to make a big deal of it
Ayana dropped a hint about wanting a bicycle for her birthday, hoping her parents would notice.
drop a hint about [topic]
During dinner, Christopher's boss dropped that the company might be hiring a new manager soon.
drop + that-clause for indirectly giving news
Hassan casually dropped the name of a famous actor to impress the people at the party.
Defne dropped a few comments about the project during the coffee break, but said nothing at the meeting itself.
文法句型
drop + a hint / comment / remark
drop + that-clause
用法筆記
Often used with 'hint' (drop a hint) to mean giving a subtle suggestion. When dropping a name, it implies mentioning a well-known person to impress others. The that-clause pattern ('drop that…') is common in storytelling and reported speech.
常見錯誤
5. to lower a heavy metal anchor into the water to stop a ship or boat from moving
to lower a heavy metal anchor into the water to stop a ship or boat from moving away
The captain decided to drop anchor near the small island so the crew could rest for the night.
fixed phrase: drop anchor
As the wind grew stronger, the fishing boat dropped anchor close to the harbour wall.
The Watanabe family's yacht dropped anchor in a quiet bay where the water was calm and clear.
In heavy fog, the ferry captain dropped anchor and waited for visibility to improve before moving on.
- weigh anchor
to lift the anchor before sailing
- raise anchor
pull the anchor up to allow the boat to move
文法句型
drop + anchor
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used with 'anchor' as the object. The phrase 'drop anchor' is a fixed nautical expression. Can also be used figuratively: 'We dropped anchor at a small café and stayed for hours.'
6. to leave out a sound, letter, or syllable when speaking or writing a word
to leave out a sound, letter, or syllable when speaking or writing a word
In some British accents, speakers drop the letter 'h' at the start of words like 'hotel'.
drop + the letter [x]
Justin noticed that his grandmother often dropped the 'g' at the end of words, saying 'runnin'' instead of 'running'.
passive: [letter] is dropped
When people speak quickly, they may drop a syllable and turn 'library' into 'li-bry'.
In informal text messages, many writers drop vowels and write 'thx' instead of 'thanks'.
文法句型
drop + a letter / sound / syllable
be dropped (passive)
用法筆記
When describing pronunciation, 'drop' is used for sounds that are left out in certain dialects or casual speech. 'H-dropping' is a well-known feature of some British English accents. In writing, dropping letters is common in abbreviations and text messaging.
常見錯誤
7. When an amount, level, value, or sound becomes lower or less; or when you cause
When an amount, level, value, or sound becomes lower or less; or when you cause it to become lower or less — for example, temperatures dropping at night, a company dropping its prices, or someone dropping their voice to a whisper.
Temperatures in the city are expected to drop below zero tonight.
intransitive: temperature + drop + below [number]
The company dropped the price of its new phone by twenty percent after poor sales.
transitive: drop + price + by [amount]
Nikhil dropped his voice to a whisper so that nobody else could hear him.
Sales of the product dropped sharply after the online review described it as unreliable.
The path drops steeply toward the river just past the old stone bridge.
文法句型
drop + noun (price / voice / temperature)
drop + adverb (sharply / steeply / below)
用法筆記
Can be used for quantities (prices, temperatures, sales), sound volume (voice), or physical slope (path, land). Frequently intransitive when the subject is the thing that decreases.
常見錯誤
8. To stop doing, discussing, or continuing with something — especially a plan, act
To stop doing, discussing, or continuing with something — especially a plan, activity, or subject of conversation.
We dropped the idea of building a new garage because it cost too much.
drop + idea / plan
Élise dropped her history class after the first month because she found it too difficult.
drop + class / course
Let us drop the subject for now and talk about something less upsetting.
The police dropped the investigation when they found no clear evidence of a crime.
文法句型
drop + noun (idea / plan / class / subject)
drop + gerund (studying / going / doing)
用法筆記
Often followed by a gerund (dropped studying) when referring to discontinuing an activity. Common objects include ideas, classes, subjects, and investigations.
常見錯誤
9. To remove someone from a team, group, or social network; to end a personal conne
To remove someone from a team, group, or social network; to end a personal connection with someone; or to discard something that is no longer wanted.
The coach dropped two players from the team after they missed three training sessions.
drop + person + from + team/group
Xiu dropped her old friends from high school after she moved to a different city.
drop + friends (end social contact)
We should drop the broken chairs from the inventory and order new ones.
After the scandal, several big sponsors dropped all ties with the television network.
- exclude
more formal, less common in everyday speech
- get rid of
more informal, mainly for objects or things
- omit
used when leaving items out of a list or text, not for social relationships
文法句型
drop + person + from + group/team
drop + ties/contact + with + person
drop + noun (object you no longer need)
用法筆記
Common in sports (players dropped from a team), social contexts (stop seeing someone), and logistics (remove items from a list or inventory). The person or thing being excluded is the direct object; the group is introduced with 'from'.
常見錯誤
10. To give someone a ride to a location and then leave them there; or to deliver an
To give someone a ride to a location and then leave them there; or to deliver an item to a specific place, typically as a stop during a longer journey.
Anthony drops the children at school every morning on his way to the office.
drop + person + at + place (by car)
Could you drop these documents at the lawyer's office when you go downtown?
drop + object + at + place (deliver on the way)
Felipe dropped his suit at the dry cleaner's before heading to the airport.
The delivery driver dropped the package at the front door while nobody was home.
- pick up
opposite action — collect someone or something from a place
文法句型
drop + person + at + place
drop + object + at/in + place
drop + person/object + off
用法筆記
Almost always used with a location phrase (at/at a place). The phrasal verb 'drop off' is very common and interchangeable in everyday speech. 'Drop' alone sounds slightly more formal or abbreviated.
常見錯誤
11. When a new product, album, film, or piece of digital content is made public so p
When a new product, album, film, or piece of digital content is made public so people can purchase, view, listen to, or use it; or for a company to release such content.
The band plans to drop their new album in March next year.
transitive: drop + album / single
A major software update for the app dropped yesterday and fixed several bugs.
intransitive: update / version drops
The streaming service dropped all ten episodes of the new series at once.
When the film trailer dropped online, it got over a million views within hours.
文法句型
drop + noun (album / single / product / trailer)
noun + drops (intransitive, e.g., 'the album drops')
用法筆記
Originally popular in US hip-hop and music culture ('drop a beat'), now used broadly for any new content release. Can be used transitively (the company drops something) or intransitively (the content drops). More informal than 'release' or 'launch'.
12. To be defeated in a game, match, or contest and not obtain victory.
To be defeated in a game, match, or contest and not obtain victory.
The team dropped their first three games of the season before winning any at all.
drop + game / match (sports context)
Emre dropped the final match even though he was leading by two sets.
drop + final / match (tennis)
Manchester City dropped valuable points in the last two away games this month.
Adaeze dropped two games in a row but came back to win the overall tournament.
- win
opposite — to be successful in a game or competition
文法句型
drop + noun (game / match / set / point / race)
用法筆記
Common in sports journalism and commentary. The object must be the game, match, or points — not the opponent ('drop a game' is correct; 'drop a team' is not). Frequently used in British English for football (soccer) matches.
常見錯誤
drop — noun
1. a single small round amount of liquid that falls or hangs from something, such a
a single small round amount of liquid that falls or hangs from something, such as water from a tap or a spot of rain on a window
Beatrix watched a single drop of rain slide slowly down the windowpane.
countable: a drop of rain
Salma wiped the last drop of coffee off the kitchen counter with a cloth.
Every drop of water matters during the dry season in that village.
Élise noticed a single drop of oil on the driveway under the car.
文法句型
a drop of + noun
常見錯誤
2. a very small quantity of a drink, often an alcoholic one
a very small quantity of a drink, often an alcoholic one
Esteban asked for just a drop of water to help him swallow the medicine.
informal: a drop of water meaning a small amount
"Would you like a drop of whisky before you go?" Grandfather asked Lukas.
Rania offered her guest a drop of sherry to warm him up on the cold evening.
"Could I have just a drop of lemon juice for my salad?" asked Ravindra.
文法句型
a drop of + beverage noun
用法筆記
Common in polite offers ('a drop of tea / wine') and requests. Often implies a smaller amount than the speaker would usually serve.
3. a small measured amount of liquid medicine given one at a time from a bottle or
a small measured amount of liquid medicine given one at a time from a bottle or dropper
Ryo put two drops of the ear medicine into his left ear before bed.
pattern: number + drops of + medicine
The doctor told Hoa to use eye drops three times a day for a week.
Each dropper bottle contains about two hundred drops of the vitamin solution.
Isabela always carries her eye drops when she travels on long aeroplane flights.
文法句型
drops of + medicine noun
number + drop(s) of + substance
用法筆記
The standard unit for liquid medications given through the eyes, ears, or nose. 'Drops' (plural) often refers to the medication itself, as in 'eye drops' or 'ear drops'.
常見錯誤
4. a small round candy with a fruit flavour, often sold in a packet
a small round candy with a fruit flavour, often sold in a packet
Christopher bought a bag of lemon drops for the long train ride north.
pattern: [flavour] drops — fruit drops
Quan offered his grandmother a cherry drop, and she thanked him with a smile.
Anna sucked on a mint drop to freshen her breath before the meeting.
Mayumi gave each child a fruit drop after their piano lesson finished.
文法句型
[flavour] drop(s)
用法筆記
More common in British English than American English. In the US, 'drops' is mainly used for medicated candy such as 'cough drops'.
5. how far down something goes from a high point to the ground or surface below, es
how far down something goes from a high point to the ground or surface below, especially when steep
The cliff has a forty-metre drop straight down to the ocean below.
pattern: number + -metre drop
Imani warned the children about the steep drop behind the garden wall.
collocation: steep drop
There is a sharp drop at the edge of the path, so watch your step.
The drop from the balcony to the ground floor is nearly six metres.
- rise
an increase in height or upward distance
文法句型
a + number + -metre/-foot drop
a steep drop
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 9 (FALL, the action of falling) — this sense refers specifically to the vertical measurement of space from top to bottom, not the act of falling itself.
常見錯誤
6. a sudden or clear decrease in the amount, level, or quality of something, such a
a sudden or clear decrease in the amount, level, or quality of something, such as temperature, prices, or performance
The company reported a sharp drop in profits during the first quarter.
pattern: a drop in + noun (profits/sales/temperature)
Meteorologists are predicting a temperature drop of ten degrees overnight.
pattern: a + noun + drop of + number
Chidi noticed a sudden drop in the quality of the service at the hotel.
Caleb noted a sudden drop in his energy levels after lunch that day.
文法句型
a drop in + noun
a drop of + number
用法筆記
Commonly followed by 'in' ('a drop in sales') or 'of' ('a drop of 5%'). When the amount of change is mentioned, 'of' introduces the number; 'in' introduces the thing that changed.
常見錯誤
7. the sending of food, medicine, or equipment to people on the ground by pushing o
the sending of food, medicine, or equipment to people on the ground by pushing or releasing it out of a plane or helicopter
The United Nations organised an air drop of food to the flood victims.
air drop of [supplies] + to [recipients]
Helicopters made emergency supply drops to villages cut off by the earthquake.
supply drops collocation
The aid agency coordinated a medicine drop for the remote mountain clinics.
Each parachute drop delivered enough rice for a family of four for one month.
- airdrop
specifically refers to delivery by aircraft; often written as one word
- parachute drop
emphasises that supplies descend by parachute, not free fall
文法句型
drop + of + noun
air drop / supply drop / food drop
用法筆記
Frequently appears as part of a compound noun: air drop, supply drop, food drop, medicine drop. The type of supply comes first.
常見錯誤
8. a place where something is left to be collected later, often secretly or quietly
a place where something is left to be collected later, often secretly or quietly
The spy left the coded message at a prearranged drop in the park.
prearranged drop collocation
Nikhil and Ayana used a post office box as their mail drop for receiving documents.
mail drop collocation
The informant collected the money from a drop behind the old warehouse.
Rania left the package at the agreed drop before the meeting time.
- dead drop
a specific spy technique where the two parties never meet; a type of drop
- pick-up point
more general; not necessarily secret
- depository
formal; usually a permanent place, not a one-time arrangement
文法句型
dead drop
mail drop
drop + for + noun
用法筆記
Often appears in espionage or crime contexts. A dead drop is a specific type where the person leaving and the person collecting never meet.
常見錯誤
9. the action of someone or something falling downward through the air, often with
the action of someone or something falling downward through the air, often with the sense of speed or free movement
The cat survived a drop of nearly fifteen metres from the roof.
survived a drop of [distance]
The roller coaster's first drop plunged the riders into complete darkness.
Be careful — the other side of the wall has a very steep drop.
Samir enjoyed a smooth free-fall drop before opening his parachute.
文法句型
a drop of [distance]
a drop from [place]
a steep drop
a sheer drop
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 5 (HEIGHT DROP, a static vertical measurement) and sense 6 (DECLINE, a numerical reduction). This sense describes the dynamic action of falling through the air, not a measured distance or an amount decrease.