Meaning & use
drop shot
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablesport
In tennis and similar games, a soft shot that just clears the net and lands close to it, making it hard for the opponent to reach.
Grammar: Countable: a drop shot, two drop shots.
Patterns
- hit a drop shot
- play a drop shot
- a drop shot lands just over the net
She won the point with a perfect drop shot.
He tried a drop shot, but it went into the net.
nouncountablesport
In badminton, a soft shot that falls just over the net.
Grammar: Countable: hit a drop shot.
Patterns
- hit a drop shot
- play a drop shot
The badminton player used a drop shot to catch her opponent off guard.
A well-placed drop shot can be very effective in badminton.
Word forms
| plural | drop shots |
|---|
Common combinations
- hit a drop shot
- He hit a drop shot that just cleared the net.
- play a drop shot
- She played a drop shot to win the game.
- a perfect drop shot
- It was a perfect drop shot, impossible to return.
- attempt a drop shot
- He attempted a drop shot but missed the court.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dink
- In tennis, a dink is a soft shot similar to a drop shot, but often used more broadly for any gentle shot.
Word family
- drop-shot verb
- To hit a drop shot.
Commonly confused: drop shot or drop kick?
drop shot vs drop kick
A drop kick is a kick in rugby or football; a drop shot is a soft hit in tennis or badminton.
Practice
In tennis, what is the main purpose of a drop shot?
Choose one answer.
A drop shot is soft and lands close to the net, relying on surprise and touch. Hitting it hard would not be a drop shot.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “drop shot”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.