pop
gb/pˈɑp/ us/pˈɑp/
A2
English
~ 1600
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Make a quick sharp sound
To make a quick, small sound like something breaking or opening.
Usage pattern:
to pop [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'pop' with 'explode', but 'explode' is stronger and often dangerous.
Synonyms
burst (Implies breaking suddenly and violently, often louder or more destructive.)
|
snap (Suggests a sharp breaking sound, often from something rigid.)
Antonyms
seal (To close tightly so nothing can open or escape.)
Collocations
pop a balloon
|pop a bottle
|pop a blister
|pop the lid
Themes
daily life
|sounds
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She accidentally popped the balloon with her pen.
- He popped the champagne to celebrate.
- The tire popped when it hit the sharp rock.
- I heard the popcorn popping in the microwave.
Learner examples
- The balloon popped in the sun.
- He popped the bottle open.
- The tire popped on the road.
- I popped the bag and took out the chips.
Verb
informal
B1
action
2
Go somewhere quickly/briefly
To go to a place for a short visit or quickly.
Usage pattern:
to pop into [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'pop in' with 'pop up'; 'pop up' means to appear suddenly, not to visit.
Synonyms
drop by (Slightly more neutral; often used for casual visits.)
|
stop in (Similar meaning but can imply staying a bit longer.)
Antonyms
stay away (To not visit or go to a place.)
Collocations
pop into the shop
|pop over to see
|pop round for a visit
Themes
daily life
|travel
|daily_life
Examples
- I’ll just pop into the store for some milk.
- Why don’t you pop over for coffee later?
- She popped round to return the book.
Learner examples
- I will pop into the shop.
- Can you pop over later?
- She popped round to see me.
Noun
A2
entity
3
Sweet fizzy drink
A sweet drink with gas, like cola or lemonade.
Common mistake:
Some learners may not know 'pop' is mainly used in certain regions (e.g., Canada, Midwest US) instead of 'soda'.
Synonyms
soda (More common in American English; same meaning.)
|
soft drink (More formal term for any non-alcoholic carbonated drink.)
Antonyms
water (Plain liquid without sweetness or carbonation.)
Collocations
drink pop
|bottle of pop
|can of pop
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- He bought two cans of pop for the picnic.
- Would you like some pop with your sandwich?
- They drank orange pop at the party.
Learner examples
- I want a can of pop.
- He drinks pop every day.
- We have lemon pop at home.
Verb
informal
B1
action
4
Put quickly and casually
To quickly put something somewhere.
Usage pattern:
to pop [something] [somewhere]
Synonyms
slip (Implies smoothness and care, not just speed.)
|
stick (Can imply less care or precision, but not always quickness.)
Antonyms
place carefully (To put something slowly and with care.)
Collocations
pop it in the oven
|pop your shoes off
|pop the letter in the box
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Pop your coat on and let’s go.
- She popped the letter in her bag.
- He popped the pizza in the oven.
Learner examples
- Pop your shoes off here.
- I will pop it in my bag.
- She popped the food in the oven.
Noun
informal
A2
entity
5
Popular music style
Music that is liked by many people and easy to listen to.
Synonyms
popular music (General term; includes all music genres popular at a given time.)
Antonyms
classical music (Traditional art music with complex structure.)
Collocations
pop song
|pop star
|pop concert
Themes
music
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She prefers pop over rock music.
- That band is famous for its catchy pop songs.
- He’s one of the biggest pop stars in the world.
Learner examples
- I like pop music.
- She is a pop star.
- They play pop songs on the radio.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pop
IPA
GB/pˈɑp/
US/pˈɑp/
Syllables & stress
pop (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (pop)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: pop
- Plural: pop, pops
Verb
- Base: pop
- 3rd Person Singular: pops
- Present Participle: popping
- Past: popped
Word family
Forms
pops
noun
popping
verb
popped
verb
Related words
popcorn
noun A1
Advanced or less common
popper
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: popping Verb
- Irregular past: popped Verb
Expressions
make something pop
1/mˈeɪk sˈʌmθɪŋ pˈɑp/
fixed phrase
informal
Make something stand out more vividly or attractively
To make something look more interesting or easy to notice.
Examples
- Adding some bright colors will make your design pop.
- Her necklace really makes her outfit pop.
pop in/into/by/over/round
1/pˈɑp ɪnˈɪntoʊbiˈʌvɚɹˈaʊnd/
phrasal verb
informal
Visit briefly and casually
To go to someone's home or another place for a short time without planning much ahead.
Examples
- Why don’t you pop in for tea later?
- I’ll pop by your office this afternoon.
pop out
1/pˈɑp ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
Leave briefly and return soon after
To go out for a short time and come back soon.
Examples
- I’m just popping out to buy some bread.
- She popped out for lunch but will be back soon.
pop up
1/pˈɑp ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Appear suddenly or unexpectedly
To appear or happen quickly and without warning.
Examples
- New problems keep popping up at work.
- A window popped up on my screen.
pop the question
1/pˈɑp ðə kwˈɛst͡ʃən/
idiom
informal
Propose marriage to someone
To ask someone if they want to marry you.
Examples
- He finally popped the question after seven years together.
- He finally popped the question after five years together.
- She knew he was going to pop the question during their holiday.
- She was surprised when he popped the question during dinner.