Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. in a terrible rage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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:

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.

A transit porter and motorman with the New York City subway in the 1980s, Mr. Naiden was active in a tiny communist cell within the union, endorsing free fares and encouraging turnstile hopping.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

A pancake for the table at Kitchen Mouse, garden hopping at the Huntington and “blue couch time” are on the agenda for the comedian.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

And now Ryan Gosling is hopping on board.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

"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

“Sometimes Mom still plays. ‘It’s not about the hopping.

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes