Flop - English meaning

noun

Someone in a competition who is unlikely to do well or who has failed

verb

(of a vehicle or its engine) undergo a mistimed explosion in the cylinder or exhaust.

Usage examples:

A car backfired in the road and shoppers ducked instinctively

noun

A mistimed explosion in the cylinder or exhaust of a vehicle or engine.

Usage examples:

Once the engine is running smoothly, a backfire can be dramatic

verb

(of a plan) to have the opposite result from the one you intended

Usage examples:

Some hotel owners worry that the idea of attracting more visitors may backfire and make the place l…

phrase

To be very unsuccessful or extremely bad

Usage examples:

The evening was a complete disaster., as an engineer, he was a disaster., our first gig was a total…

noun

An awkward jump into water in which a person's stomach hits the water

noun

A container filled with explosive or incendiary material, designed to explode on impact or when detonated by a timing, proximity, or remote-control device.

Usage examples:

A bomb attack

verb

Attack (a place or object) with a bomb or bombs.

Usage examples:

They bombed the city at dawn

noun

A weapon that explodes and is used to kill or hurt people or to damage buildings

Usage examples:

Drop a bomb during the war, the enemy dropped a huge number of bombs on the city., a 100-pound bomb…

noun

An event causing great and usually sudden damage or suffering; a disaster.

Usage examples:

An environmental catastrophe

noun

A sudden event that causes great suffering or destruction

Usage examples:

Losing his job was a financial catastrophe for his family., a chemical plant leak could cause an en…

noun

A sudden event that causes very great trouble or destruction

Usage examples:

They were warned of the ecological catastrophe to come.

noun

The stony residue from burnt coal or from a furnace.

Usage examples:

The expected decrease of duty on cement and clinker from rs 400 per tonne to rs 350 per tonne didn'…

noun

Something that is unsatisfactory, of poor quality, or a failure.

Usage examples:

Marketing couldn't save such clinkers as these films

noun

The ash (= powder) and rough, hard pieces that remain after coal has been burned

idiom

To suddenly fail in what you are doing, often because you have an accident

Usage examples:

The italian champion was in second position when he came to grief on the third lap.

verb

Hang or swing loosely.

Usage examples:

Saucepans dangled from a rail

verb

To hang loosely, or to cause something to hang

Usage examples:

[ i ] a loose wire was dangling from the wall., [ t ] he dangled the puppet in front her.

verb

To hang loosely, or to hold something so that it hangs loosely

Usage examples:

Dangle from loose electric wires were dangling from the wall., he dangled the puppet in front of th…

noun

A sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.

Usage examples:

The only man to reach double figures in the second-innings debacle

noun

An event or situation that is a complete failure

Usage examples:

The candidate’s behavior during the debate turned what could have been a victory into a political d…

noun

A complete failure, especially because of bad planning and organization

Usage examples:

The collapse of the company was described as the greatest financial debacle in us history.

noun

A sudden accident or a natural catastrophe that causes great damage or loss of life.

Usage examples:

159 people died in the disaster

noun

An event causing great harm, damage, or suffering

Usage examples:

[ c/u ] financial disaster, [ u ] disaster aid/relief, [ c ] over 100 people died in the disaster.,…

noun

A sudden event that causes a lot of damage, such as a very bad fire, storm, or accident

Usage examples:

Insurance companies often charge extra to cover floods, earthquakes, or other natural disasters., m…

noun

A domesticated carnivorous mammal that typically has a long snout, an acute sense of smell, non-retractable claws, and a barking, howling, or whining voice.

Usage examples:

‘all dogs have an intense sense of smell, and every dog likes to sniff,’ smith said.

verb

Follow (someone) closely and persistently.

Usage examples:

Photographers seemed to dog her every step

noun

A canine domesticated by man since prehistoric times

verb

Bend or hang downwards limply.

Usage examples:

A long black cloak drooped from his shoulders

noun

An act or instance of drooping; a limp or weary attitude.

Usage examples:

The exhausted droop of her shoulders

verb

To bend or hang down

Usage examples:

The old woman sighed and pushed back a drooping strand of iron-gray hair.

verb

Let or make (something) fall vertically.

Usage examples:

The fire was caused by someone dropping a lighted cigarette

noun

A small round or pear-shaped portion of liquid that hangs or falls or adheres to a surface.

Usage examples:

The first drops of rain splashed on the ground

verb

Let fall to the ground

noun

A thing that fails to work properly or is otherwise unsatisfactory or worthless.

Usage examples:

All three bombs were duds

adjective

Not working or meeting standards; faulty.

Usage examples:

A dud ignition switch

verb

Trick or swindle (someone).

Usage examples:

They became increasingly aware of their rights and how much they were being dudded

verb

Be unsuccessful in achieving one's goal.

Usage examples:

He failed in his attempt to secure election

noun

A mark which is not high enough to pass an examination or test.

Usage examples:

A fail grade

verb

To not succeed in what you are trying to achieve or are expected to do

Usage examples:

She moved to london in the hope of finding work as a model, but failed., this method of growing tom…

noun

Lack of success.

Usage examples:

An economic policy that is doomed to failure

noun

The fact of someone or something not succeeding

Usage examples:

Complete failure the meeting was a complete failure., total failure now she finally had to admit th…

noun

The fact of not doing something that you must do or are expected to do

Usage examples:

Failure to his failure to return her phone call made her realize that something was wrong., failure…

verb

(of a bird) move (its wings) up and down when flying or preparing to fly.

Usage examples:

A pheasant flapped its wings

noun

A thin, flat piece of cloth, paper, metal, etc. that is hinged or attached on one side only and covers an opening or hangs down from something.

Usage examples:

The flap of the envelope

verb

Move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion

noun

A person who manufactures articles of cast metal; the owner or operator of a foundry.

Usage examples:

An iron founder

noun

A person who establishes an institution or settlement.

Usage examples:

He was the founder of modern costa rica

verb

(of a ship) fill with water and sink.

Usage examples:

Six drowned when the yacht foundered off the cornish coast

noun

A pale yellow oval citrus fruit with thick skin and fragrant, acidic juice.

Usage examples:

The juice of seven lemons

noun

A yellow, oval fruit whose juice has a sour taste

Usage examples:

[ c ] that car i bought is a real lemon.

noun

An oval fruit that has a thick, yellow skin and sour juice, or the small tree on which this fruit grows

Usage examples:

For this recipe you need the juice of two lemons., would you like a slice of lemon in your tea?, le…

verb

Sit, lie, or stand in a lazy, relaxed way.

Usage examples:

The two girls lolled in their chairs

verb

To lie or sit in a relaxed, informal way, or (esp. of the tongue) to hang loosely

Usage examples:

She lolled in an armchair., the patient lay with her mouth open, her tongue lolling out.

noun

A person or thing that loses or has lost something, especially a game or contest.

Usage examples:

He was the loser in the race

noun

A person who is defeated, or someone who regularly fails

Usage examples:

When she found out she’d been accepted to the program because of her low scores, she felt like a lo…

noun

Shares that lose value on a particular day

Usage examples:

On the london stock exchange, losers beat gainers 1,353 to 823., in every deal, there are winners a…

verb

(of a gun or missile) fail to discharge or fire properly.

Usage examples:

As she raised her pistol again, it misfired

noun

A failure of a gun or missile to fire correctly.

Usage examples:

The weapons are to be replaced because of problems with misfires

idiom

To fail to achieve the result that was intended

Usage examples:

Her speech missed the mark and failed to generate the public support she had been hoping for.

idiom

Not allowed or not acceptable

Usage examples:

Shorts are no go here – you have to wear long pants and shoes.

noun

Someone or something that will fail

Usage examples:

He's a real/total no-hoper - he'll never achieve anything.

noun

An idea, plan, or person that has no chance of success

Usage examples:

The proposal was a non-starter from the beginning.

verb

Sink, subside, or bulge downwards under weight or pressure or through lack of strength.

Usage examples:

She let her head sag lower and lower

noun

A downward curve or bulge in a structure caused by weakness or excessive weight or pressure.

Usage examples:

A sag in the middle necessitated a third set of wheels

noun

Variant spelling of saag.

noun

An event or period that is spoiled by constant or heavy rain.

Usage examples:

Last summer was a bit of a washout here

noun

A complete failure

Usage examples:

The dance was a washout – only three people showed up.