hopping

American  

[hop-ing] / ˈhɒp ɪŋ /

adjective

1. working energetically; busily engaged.

   He kept the staff hopping in order to get the report finished.

2. going from one place or situation to another of a similar specified type (usually used in combination).

   restaurant-hopping.

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idioms

1. hopping mad, furious; enraged.

   He was hopping mad when his daughter dropped out of college.

hopping British  

/ ˈhɒpɪŋ /

noun

1. the action of a person or animal that hops

2. dialect a fair, esp ( the Hoppings ) an annual fair in Newcastle

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adjective

1. in a terrible rage

Etymology

Origin of hopping

First recorded in 1665–75; hop ¹ + -ing ²

Compare meaning

How does hopping compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hoping vs. hopping

Example Sentences

"Creating with musical teams is great, but hopping into a different realm and being hyper creative with full-stack developers, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, world builders -- that is the ultimate level of creativity."

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Inspired by qigong, a Chinese movement practice, she has been hopping up and down every morning, which she says helps drain her lymphatic system.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

Video footage of Floyd - believed to be a male - hopping onto Alcatraz's rocks was captured by a tourist and shared with Moore.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

Another clip of the exchange posted by Reedy ended with Hamilton hopping into a van with other officers and slamming his door shut.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

They would not be nesting at this time of year, but still he looked forward to seeing them fluttering and hopping around.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

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