flop

verb

ˈfläp 

flopped; flopping

intransitive verb

1

: to swing or move loosely : flap

2

: to throw or move oneself in a heavy, clumsy, or relaxed manner

flopped into the chair

3

: to change or turn suddenly

4

: to go to bed

a place to flop at night

5

: to fail completely

The play flopped.

transitive verb

: to move or drop heavily or noisily : cause to flop

flopped the bundles down

flopper noun

Synonyms of flop

• plop

Examples of flop in a Sentence

He flopped down onto the bed.

She flopped into the chair with a sigh.

All of their attempts have flopped miserably.

The curtains were flopping around in the breeze.

Recent Examples on the Web

Guy Ritchie’s In the Grey, an action thriller starring Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal and Eiza González, is new on digital streaming this week after flopping in theaters. —Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Within a year Arthur Q Smith earned himself a solo show, which, despite flopping, revealed an unmistakable gift for songwriting. —Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 1 June 2026

His first attempt, a dystopian fantasy, had flopped. —Nathan Heller, Vogue, 29 May 2026

Their plan flopped spectacularly. —Ken Rosenthal, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of flap entry 2

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing flop

• belly flop
• flip-flop
• flop sweat

Rhymes for flop

• bop
• chop
• cop
• crop
• drop
• fop
• hop
• knop
• lop
• mop
• op
• plop

Kids Definition

flop

1 of 2 verb

ˈfläp 

flopped; flopping

1

: to swing or bounce loosely : flap about

a hat brim flopping

2

a

: to throw oneself down in a heavy, clumsy, or relaxed manner

flopped into the chair

b

: to throw or drop suddenly and heavily or noisily

flopped the bundles down with a thud

3

: to fail completely

the play flopped

flop

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or sound of flopping

2

: a complete failure : dud