Is 'drop away' separable?

No, it is an inseparable phrasal verb. You cannot put an object between 'drop' and 'away' (e.g., NOT 'drop the numbers away').

What's the difference between 'drop off' and 'drop away'?

They are similar. 'Drop off' is more common and can mean 'fall asleep' or 'deliver'. When meaning 'decline', 'drop away' often implies a more continuous, perhaps steeper or more definitive, decline, and is frequently used for physical landscapes.

Can it be used for people leaving a group?

Yes, metaphorically. For example, 'Several team members dropped away as the project became more difficult.' It implies a gradual, often unsurprising, attrition.

Is it formal or informal?

It is neutral but leans slightly towards descriptive and written contexts. In very casual speech, simpler words like 'fell', 'went down', or 'sloped' might be used instead.

drop away

UK/drɒp əˈweɪ/US/drɑːp əˈweɪ/

Neutral to slightly formal. More common in descriptive writing and speech than in casual conversation.

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

To gradually decline or fall to a lower level, intensity, or amount; to diminish over time or distance.

To fall back or be left behind; for support, interest, or attendance to wane; in terrain, to slope steeply downward.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Typically implies a gradual, often continuous, process of reduction or separation. Can describe physical movement, numerical decline, or loss of engagement. Often used with subjects like numbers, land, support, or interest.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant lexical difference. Both varieties use the phrase with the same core meaning. Slight preference in British English for geographical descriptions (e.g., 'the cliff drops away').

Connotations

Neutral, descriptive.

Frequency

Moderate and roughly equal frequency in both varieties.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

attendancesupportcliffgroundnumbersinterest

medium

sharplysteeplygraduallyrapidlydramatically

weak

audienceparticipationslopepathfigures

Grammar

Valency Patterns

[Subject] + drop away[Subject] + drop away + [Adverbial (sharply, etc.)][Subject] + drop away + from + [Object]The + [Noun (ground, etc.)] + drops away

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

plummetdwindlesubsidetaper offsheer off

Neutral

declinediminishdecreasefall offslope down

Weak

lessenfaderecededipslump

Vocabulary

Antonyms

increaserisegrowswellaccumulateplateau

Usage

Context Usage

Business

"After the initial launch, sales dropped away sharply in the second quarter."

Academic

"The study found that voter engagement drops away significantly among younger demographics."

Everyday

"The path is fine at first, but then it drops away quite steeply."

Technical

"Behind the ridge, the seabed drops away to a depth of over 2000 metres."

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

The audience began to drop away after the interval.
The land drops away to a river valley.
Our funding has dropped away since the policy change.

American English

Support for the initiative dropped away during the summer.
The trail drops away sharply just past the lookout point.
Initial enthusiasm dropped away as the project grew more complex.

Examples

By CEFR Level

The road is flat, then it drops away.
Her voice dropped away to a whisper.
After the holiday, his exercise routine dropped away.

Attendance at the club meetings has dropped away this term.
The ground drops away suddenly at the edge of the cliff.
Investor interest dropped away after the company's profits warning.

The sheer rock face drops away for hundreds of metres, creating a dizzying vista.
Public support for the reforms has steadily dropped away as the economic costs became apparent.
In the final kilometres, several runners dropped away from the leading pack.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Imagine a hiker on a path that suddenly DROPs AWAY into a steep valley. The ground literally 'falls away' from under them, giving a clear picture of a sharp decline.

Conceptual Metaphor

DECLINE/FAILURE IS A DOWNWARD MOVEMENT (e.g., fall, drop, sink). SUPPORT/INTEREST IS A PHYSICAL STRUCTURE THAT CAN ERODE OR FALL APART.

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Avoid direct translation as 'бросать прочь' (to throw away). Think of gradual reduction ('постепенно уменьшаться', 'ослабевать') or a steep slope ('круто обрываться', 'резко понижаться').
Do not confuse with 'drop out' (выйти, отчислиться), which implies active withdrawal from a system or group.

Common Mistakes

Using it for a sudden, single event (e.g., 'He dropped away the ball' - incorrect). It describes a process. *
Confusing with separable phrasal verbs. 'Drop away' is generally inseparable.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

After the exciting start, the film's pace and it became quite boring.

Multiple Choice

In which context is 'drop away' used INCORRECTLY?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No, it is an inseparable phrasal verb. You cannot put an object between 'drop' and 'away' (e.g., NOT 'drop the numbers away').
: They are similar. 'Drop off' is more common and can mean 'fall asleep' or 'deliver'. When meaning 'decline', 'drop away' often implies a more continuous, perhaps steeper or more definitive, decline, and is frequently used for physical landscapes.
: Yes, metaphorically. For example, 'Several team members dropped away as the project became more difficult.' It implies a gradual, often unsurprising, attrition.
: It is neutral but leans slightly towards descriptive and written contexts. In very casual speech, simpler words like 'fell', 'went down', or 'sloped' might be used instead.