To flop means to fall, drop, or move in a heavy, loose, or awkward way. After a long soccer practice, you might flop onto the couch, letting your tired body collapse without care. A fish out of water flops around because it can't control its movements on land the way it glides through water.

The word also describes a complete failure, especially in entertainment. When a movie flops, it loses money at the box office despite big expectations. A Broadway show that closes after just a few performances is called a flop. The Beatles flopped in their first audition for Decca Records, which famously rejected them. Of course, they went on to become one of the most successful bands in history, proving that one flop doesn't determine your future.

In sports, flopping means deliberately falling down to fool a referee into calling a foul, which players and fans generally consider unsportsmanlike.

You can use flop as a noun too: “That comedian's new special was a total flop,” or “The tired dog landed with a flop on its bed.”