hop

To make a small jump over a short distance.

• The rabbit hopped away.
• A bird hopped from branch to branch.
• She hopped over a small puddle.

Similar words: jump

Common phrases: hop over something, hop across something, hop onto something

To jump using one foot, often several times.

• Can you hop on one foot?
• She hopped across the room on her good leg.
• The children were hopping while trying to keep their balance.

How to use it: hop on one foot (I can hop on one foot for a minute.)

Common phrases: hop on one foot, hop around

To get onto a bus, train, boat, or plane quickly or without much planning.

• Let’s hop on a bus.
• We hopped aboard just before the boat left.
• He often hops a train to the coast.

How to use it: hop on something (We can hop on the next train.); hop aboard something (They hopped aboard a small ferry.)

Similar words: board

Common phrases: hop on a bus, hop aboard, hop a train

To be busy and active, moving quickly between tasks.

• The kitchen was hopping all evening.
• Those orders really kept us hopping.
• With three events today, the staff will have to hop.

Similar words: bustle

Common phrases: hop all night, keep someone hopping

A small jump, often made on one foot.

• She made a little hop.
• The rabbit crossed the grass in quick hops.
• He reached the other side with one hop.

Similar words: small jump, leap

Common phrases: little hop, single hop, hop and skip

A plant's dried flowers, usually called hops, used to give beer its bitter taste.

• Hops give beer a bitter taste.
• The brewer added dried hops to the mixture.
• This beer has a strong hop aroma.

Common phrases: dried hop, hop flowers, hop aroma

A short step or quick change from one stage of development to another.

• It was a short hop to success.
• His career took a quick hop from research to management.
• For the company, online sales were a short hop from mail orders.

How to use it: a short hop from A to B (For her, it was a short hop from local radio to national television.)

Similar words: step, advance

Common phrases: short hop, hop to something, hop from something