drop out — leave school or a course early
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To stop attending school, college, or a course before you have finished it.
Say it like a native
Textbook He discontinued his university studies prematurely.
Native He dropped out of uni.
'Discontinued his studies prematurely' is formal; 'drop out' is the everyday verb.
Pattern: drop out (of something)
In use
- He decided to drop out of university after his first year.study
- If I could change one thing about my education, I would make it easier for students who drop out to return and finish their studies.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He dropped out from school.
✓ He dropped out of school.
'Drop out OF' — not 'from'.
Common collocations
drop out— of school, of college, of the course, halfway through
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'give up', which means to stop trying, or 'drop off', which means to fall asleep or deliver something.