plop
Americanverb (used without object)
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to make a sound like that of something falling or dropping into water.
A frog plopped into the pond.
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to fall with such a sound.
Big raindrops plopped against the window.
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to drop or fall with full force or direct impact.
He plopped into a chair.
verb (used with object)
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to drop or set down heavily.
She plopped her books on the desk.
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to cause to plop.
The fisherman plopped the bait into the river.
noun
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a plopping sound or fall.
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the act of plopping.
adverb
noun
verb
interjection
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has ploppedperfect 3rd person singular
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have ploppedperfect
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are ploppingprogressive
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am ploppingprogressive 1st person singular
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is ploppingprogressive 3rd person singular
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plopssingular 3rd person
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has been ploppingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been ploppingperfect progressive
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ploppingparticiple
Past
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had ploppedperfect
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was ploppingprogressive singular
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had been ploppingperfect progressive
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were ploppingprogressive plural
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ploppedsimple
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ploppedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of plop
First recorded in 1815–25; imitative
Explanation
To plop is to drop something (or yourself) with a short sound. The sound itself is also a plop — like something landing in water without much of a splash. The sound of a plop is abrupt and hollow — you could also call it a plunk or a or a plonk. You might plop an ice cube in your glass of water, or watch a flock of bird plop themselves on the surface of a pond. Plop is imitative or onomatopoeic (it sounds like its meaning), and it first appeared in the 1820s after the brief popularity of the alternative word plap.
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.
The incident has left city officials scratching their heads as to how the creature crossed the 210 Freeway and decided to plop down in a heavily populated residential area surrounded by major streets.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Chandor isn’t sure what she’d do if Chonkers tried to plop down somewhere else.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
Fold the nori almost like a taco, add the fillings, roll or plop it right in your mouth.
From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025
They can often be identified from the distinctive plop sound they make when they dive into the water.
From BBC • Aug. 21, 2024
I mean, if you’re going to feed sea lions, you’re not supposed to plop the food into the tank.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
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.
