flop
Americanverb (used without object)
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to fall or plump down suddenly, especially with noise; drop or turn with a sudden bump or thud (sometimes followed bydown ).
The puppy flopped down on the couch.
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to change suddenly, as from one side or party to another (often followed byover ).
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to be a complete failure; fail.
The play flopped dismally.
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Informal. to sleep or be lodged.
to flop at a friend's house.
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to swing loosely; bounce; flap.
His long hair flops in his eyes when he runs.
verb (used with object)
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to drop with a sudden bump or thud.
He flopped his books on a chair.
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to dispose (oneself ) in a heavily negligent manner.
to flop oneself in a chair.
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to invert (the negative of a photograph) so that the right and left sides are transposed.
noun
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an act of flopping.
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the sound of flopping; a thud.
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a failure.
The new comedy was a flop.
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Informal. a place to sleep; temporary lodging.
The mission offered a flop and a free breakfast.
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Basketball. an exaggerated or dramatic fall intended to persuade officials to penalize the opposing team for a foul.
His comically oversold flop didn’t fool the referees at all.
verb
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(intr) to bend, fall, or collapse loosely or carelessly
his head flopped backwards
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to fall, cause to fall, or move with a sudden noise
the books flopped onto the floor
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informal (intr) to fail; be unsuccessful
the scheme flopped
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(intr) to fall flat onto the surface of water, hitting it with the front of the body
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slang to go to sleep
noun
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the act of flopping
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informal a complete failure
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slang a place to sleep
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athletics See Fosbury flop
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poker the first three community cards dealt face-up in a round of any of several varieties of poker, including Texas hold 'em
Usage
What does flop mean? To flop is to plump down or fall suddenly, often making a noise, as in After the long hike, Sasha flopped on the grass to rest. To flop can also mean to drop something with a sudden bump, as in Dola flopped her books to the floor to make room on the desk. To flop also means to fail completely, as in The new play flopped because the actors didn’t know their lines and no one came after opening night. Flop can be used as a noun to refer to any of these actions, as well. Example: I flopped on the couch after a long day of work.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of flop
First recorded in 1595–1605; variant of flap; flop def. 11 was first recorded in 1890–95.
Explanation
To flop is to drop or hang heavily and loosely. If you're exhausted at the end of the day, you might flop into a chair as soon as you walk into your house. Your long hair might flop into your eyes, and if you catch a fish, you'll have to watch it flop around in your boat before it stops breathing. A tired child might begin to sob and flop onto the floor in frustration. You can also call a disaster a flop: "We worked so hard on that play, but it turned out to be a total flop." The earliest meaning of flop was "to flap."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This time it wasn’t about a blown series lead or a racist owner or Flop City.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2023
In the years after Mexico City, sportswriters reached for ways to describe the Fosbury Flop.
From Washington Post • Mar. 14, 2023
Even after his Olympic victory, it still seemed possible that the Fosbury Flop was a novelty act and that other techniques, like the straddle, might prove superior in the end.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2023
"He invented the "Fosbury Flop", was a gold medallist at the 1968 Games, and remained an advocate for athletes his entire life. Fosbury's legacy will live on for generations to come."
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2023
When the Flop lost his balance and toppled to the ground, we got other notions.
From "Milkweed" by Jerry Spinelli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
