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at the drop of a hat

at the drop of a hat
A a

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [at stressed th ee drop uhv, ov ey hat]
    • /æt stressed ði drɒp ʌv, ɒv eɪ hæt/
    • /ət ðə drɒp əv ə hæt/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [at stressed th ee drop uhv, ov ey hat]
    • /æt stressed ði drɒp ʌv, ɒv eɪ hæt/

Definitions of at the drop of a hat words

  • phrase at the drop of a hat If you say that you are ready to do something at the drop of a hat, you mean that you are willing to do it immediately, without hesitating. 3
  • noun at the drop of a hat without hesitation or delay 3
  • noun at the drop of a hat immediately; at the slightest provocation 3
  • noun at the drop of a hat a small quantity of liquid that falls or is produced in a more or less spherical mass; a liquid globule. 1
  • noun at the drop of a hat the quantity of liquid contained in such a globule. 1
  • noun at the drop of a hat a very small quantity of liquid: I'll have a little more tea, just a drop. 1
See all 76 definitions of at the drop of a hat

Information block about the term

Origin of at the drop of a hat

First appearance:

before 1000
One of the 6% oldest English words
before 1000; (noun) Middle English drop(e) drop of liquid, Old English dropa; (v.) Middle English droppen, Old English droppian; akin to drip, droop

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for At the drop of a hat

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of At the drop of a hat

at the drop of a hat popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 100% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

Synonyms for at the drop of a hat

adv at the drop of a hat

  • willingly — disposed or consenting; inclined: willing to go along.
  • easily — in an easy manner; with ease; without trouble: The traffic moved along easily.
  • freely — in a free manner.
  • eagerly — keen or ardent in desire or feeling; impatiently longing: I am eager for news about them. He is eager to sing.
  • promptly — done, performed, delivered, etc., at once or without delay: a prompt reply.
All 24 Synonyms of at the drop of a hat

Antonyms for at the drop of a hat

adv at the drop of a hat

  • difficultly — not easily or readily done; requiring much labor, skill, or planning to be performed successfully; hard: a difficult job.
  • unwillingly — not willing; reluctant; loath; averse: an unwilling partner in the crime.
  • grudgingly — displaying or reflecting reluctance or unwillingness: grudging acceptance of the victory of an opponent.
All 3 Antonyms of at the drop of a hat

See also

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