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Glite Dictionary
to drop in

to drop in

72 3.6
Visit someone without arranging it first
  • phrasal verb
  • /drɑp ɪn/
  • Informal
translation icon : pasar por
  • You could just be passing by and drop in for a few days.

They are going to just drop in that case, the Empire State Building.

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Examples

Synonyms

to see
vsto drop in
  • Informal
∞ 1.0

To have a romantic relationship with someone

is strictly about informal unplanned visiting rather than planned meetings or romance
to come by
vsto drop in
  • Informal
506 3.9

Visit someone at home without calling first

emphasizes the unarranged nature but is more common for personal visits
to stop by
vsto drop in
  • Informal
494 2.5

To make a short visit to a person or place

is more about dropping in on someone specifically without prior plans
to drop by
vsto drop in
  • Informal
206 2.5

To visit someone or a place for a short time without planning

is also unplanned but focuses on visiting someone specifically rather than anywhere
to pay a visit
vsto drop in
50 2.3

To go to someone's home or another place for a short time

is less formal and highlights the lack of prior arrangement
to pop in
vsto drop in
  • Informal
25 3.4

To make a short informal visit to a place

is similar but stresses meeting a person informally rather than entering a place
to pop into
vsto drop in
  • Informal
9 4.1

Visit a place for a short time, often without planning

focuses more on an informal person-to-person stop without stressing briefness
to call in
vsto drop in
  • UK
1 2.8

Pay a short, often unplanned visit to someone

is similar but is more casual and less formal in tone

Antonyms

to schedule
789 3.0

To arrange something to happen at a certain time

How Informal

to pop in
  • Informal
25 3.4
to drop in
  • Informal
72 3.6
to call in
  • UK
1 2.8

Surface Forms

drop in infinitive
dropped in past
dropped in past participle
dropping in present participle
drops in third person singular

Morphology

drop + in

The combination of 'drop' and directional 'in' can suggest entering or arriving briefly, so there is a detectable link to the literal meanings of the constituents. However, the pragmatic sense 'to visit informally without arrangement' is an extended, partly idiomatic interpretation of the phrasal verb that a B1 learner who only knows the single-word meanings may not fully predict, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The phrasal verb drop in comes from the image of someone quickly drop in to a house or room, like a small object dropped into a box, arriving suddenly and staying a short time. So, it now means 'to visit someone informally and without making arrangements'.