drop out

/drɑp aʊt/

/drɒp aʊt/

Other forms: dropped out; dropping out; drops out

When you drop out, you stop taking part in something. Your parents might not approve of your plan to drop out of high school and join the circus.

People drop out of all kinds of things, from college to sporting events to political races: "He'll probably drop out of the presidential race after the primary." If you drop out of school, people might call you a dropout. As a verb, drop out has been used since the 16th century to mean "withdraw," while the sense of "stop going to school before graduating" started in the early 20th century.

Definitions of drop out

1. verb

   give up or quit in the face of defeat
   synonyms: chuck up the sponge, drop by the wayside, fall by the wayside, give up, quit, throw in, throw in the towel

   antonyms:

   enter

   become a participant; be involved in
2. verb

   withdraw from established society, especially because of disillusion with conventional values
   “She hasn't heard from her brother in years--he dropped out after moving to California”

   type of:

   retire, withdraw

   withdraw from active participation
3. verb

   leave school or an educational program prematurely
   “Many students drop out because they are not prepared for our challenging program”

   type of:

   depart, leave, pull up stakes

   remove oneself from an association with or participation in