shop
gb/ʃˈɑp/ us/ʃˈɑp/
A1
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
A place to buy goods
A place where you can buy things.
Usage pattern:
[someone] goes to [a shop]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'shop' and 'store'. In British English, 'shop' is more common, while 'store' is more common in American English.
Synonyms
store (Common in American English; same meaning but regional preference differs.)
Antonyms
warehouse (A warehouse stores goods but does not sell directly to the public.)
Collocations
corner shop
|clothes shop
|gift shop
|coffee shop
|shop window
Themes
business
|daily life
|shopping
|daily_life
Examples
- I stopped at the shop to buy some bread.
- There's a new clothes shop on the high street.
- She runs a small gift shop near the beach.
- The shop was crowded with holiday shoppers.
- He works at a coffee shop downtown.
Learner examples
- I go to the shop every day.
- The shop sells food and drinks.
- My friend works in a shop.
- We see many shops in the city.
Verb
A1
action
2
To buy things from stores
To go to shops to buy things.
Usage pattern:
[someone] shops for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'shop' without 'for' when talking about buying specific items. Correct: 'shop for clothes', not 'shop clothes'.
Synonyms
buy (A broader term; 'shop' emphasizes the act of visiting stores.)
Antonyms
sell (Opposite action: giving goods in exchange for money.)
Collocations
shop online
|shop around
|shop locally
|shop for clothes
|shop smart
Themes
daily life
|shopping
|daily_life
|business
Examples
- We usually shop for groceries on Saturday mornings.
- She likes to shop for clothes in the city center.
- Many people now prefer to shop online.
- They spent the afternoon shopping for furniture.
- You should shop around before choosing a new phone.
Learner examples
- I shop for food every week.
- We shop at the market on Sunday.
- She likes to shop for shoes.
- He shops online often.
Noun
informal
B1
entity
3
Place for making or fixing things
A room or building where people make or fix things.
Synonyms
workshop (Similar meaning but can also refer to a training session.)
Collocations
machine shop
|wood shop
|repair shop
Themes
work
|manufacturing
Examples
- He works in a small machine shop making car parts.
- The repair shop fixed my bike in two days.
- Students have wood shop twice a week at school.
Learner examples
- My uncle works in a car repair shop.
- We visit the wood shop in school.
- He owns a small machine shop.
Verb
informal
B2
action
4
To inform on someone to police
To tell the police that someone did something illegal.
Usage pattern:
[someone] shops [someone] to [authorities]
Synonyms
inform (More formal; used in legal or official contexts.)
Antonyms
cover for (To hide someone's wrongdoing instead of reporting it.)
Collocations
shop someone to the police
Themes
crime
|law
|communication
Examples
- He threatened to shop his accomplice to the police.
- She was shopped by a neighbor after the break-in.
- The gang member refused to shop his friends.
Learner examples
- He shopped his friend to the police.
- The man was shopped after the robbery.
- She did not want to shop her brother.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shop
IPA
GB/ʃˈɑp/
US/ʃˈɑp/
Syllables & stress
shop (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (shop)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: shop
- Plural: shop, shops
Verb
- Base: shop
- 3rd Person Singular: shops
- Present Participle: shopping
- Past: shopped
Word family
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: shopping Verb
- Irregular past: shopped Verb
Expressions
all over the shop
1/ˈɔl ˈoʊvɚ ðə ʃˈɑp/
idiom
informal
In disorder or scattered everywhere
In a very disorganized way, or everywhere without order.
Examples
- His tools are all over the shop again.
- The team’s defense was all over the shop during the match.
pop into the shop
1/pˈɑp ˈɪntu ðə ʃˈɑp/
fixed phrase
informal
Quickly visit a store briefly
To go into a store quickly, usually to buy something small.
Examples
- I’ll just pop into the shop for some milk.
- She popped into the shop on her way home.
shop around
1/ʃˈɑp ɚˈaʊnd/
phrasal verb
Compare prices before buying
To look at different places to find the best price before you buy something.
Examples
- You should shop around before buying a new car.
- We spent the morning shopping around for the best deal.
talk shop
1/tˈɔk ʃˈɑp/
idiom
informal
Discuss work outside work context
To talk about your job when you are with friends or in a social place.
Examples
- Even at dinner, they couldn't stop talking shop.
- I hate it when people talk shop at parties.