What does flopper mean?
In contemporary informal English, a flopper is a person who repeatedly fails or performs badly, especially in business, sport, or another competitive field. The word is usually negative and conveys a sense of persistent or predictable failure rather than a single unlucky setback. In political contexts, a flopper may instead be someone who changes allegiance or adopts new positions when doing so is advantageous. The term is also occasionally used more broadly for a person or thing that flops or falls flat. Its everyday force is stronger and more personal than that of neutral words such as failure, while its use in political language often implies opportunism or inconsistency. Because it can insult people directly, flopper is generally more appropriate in informal discussion or clearly critical commentary than in formal writing. The word is understood in both British and American English, though it may sound especially characteristic of political and sports criticism in the United States.
nounA person who is repeatedly unsuccessful or who fails badly, especially in a business, career, or competition. It can also refer to someone who changes allegiance or position for personal advantage, particularly in politics.
- A person who is consistently unsuccessful or who fails badly.
- A person who changes allegiance or takes up new positions for personal advantage, especially in politics.
- A person or thing that performs a flop or falls flat.
"The company had become known as a flopper, promising ambitious plans that it never delivered."
"After three failed businesses, he was regarded by his family as a hopeless flopper."
"Her opponents dismissed her as a political flopper who changed positions whenever it suited her."
The plural is used when referring to multiple people who are unsuccessful or who fail repeatedly.
"The two floppers were dropped from the project after the review."
A flopper is more than one unlucky failure: it is someone who repeatedly lands on the wrong side of things.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
How flopper is actually used
The word is informal and often disparaging. It is used especially for people who repeatedly fail, and it can describe political opportunists who are suspected of switching sides for personal benefit.
Easily confused with flopper
A flapper was a fashionable young woman associated especially with the 1920s, whereas a flopper is someone who fails repeatedly or changes allegiance for advantage.