drɒp aʊt
neutral
intermediate
- Base verb:
- drop
- Particle:
- out
- Separable:
- No
What does "drop out" mean?
- To leave school or a competition before completing
- To withdraw from participating in something
Examples
- He dropped out of university after one year.
- Several runners dropped out of the marathon.
- She dropped out of the race for health reasons.
- Too many students drop out before graduating.
- He dropped out of society and went to live in the woods.
How to use it
'Dropout' (noun) refers to someone who leaves school. Often has negative connotations but some famous entrepreneurs were dropouts.
Similar expressions
quit
withdraw
leave
abandon
Opposites
enroll
join
complete
Related phrasal verbs
- drop off
To take someone or something to a place and leave
- drop by
To visit someone informally and briefly
- drop in
To visit someone casually without an appointment
- get out
To leave a place, room, or vehicle
- turn out
To have a particular result or end in a certain way
- go out
To leave your home for social activities or entertainment
Use it in a practice answer
Try "drop out" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.