backdrop

CEFRC1

/ˈbæk.dɹɒp/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

01
noun
The background scenery behind the main action in a performance or picture.
02
noun
Extra detail
An image that serves as a visual background.

Examples

The mountains provided a dramatic backdrop for our picnic.
The starlit sky was a backdrop to Adriano's romantic proposal.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses: 5
Parts of speech: 1
Citations: 5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

The setting or background of an acted performance.
A decorated cloth hung at the back of a stage.
Any background situation.

More examples

In context

Robert went crashing into the backdrop.
Against a backdrop of falling interest rates, the new savings account is looking less appealing.
a brilliant sunset backdropping the famous skyline

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The dramatic mountain range served as a stunning blank for the wedding photos.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Citations

The word in print, with each source given in full.

The president spoke outside the brick exterior of the firehouse for Ladder Company 10 and Engine Company 10, against the backdrop of a 56-foot-long bronze bas-relief depicting the towers in flames.
2006 September 11, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, “Bush Mourns 9/11 at Ground Zero as N.Y. Remembers”, in New York Times
Animated, seemingly varied crowd movement will place a game in the early 1990s, while static crowd backdrops and blocky, sprite-based athletes tend to point toward technology used in the 1980s.
2008, Guy W. Lecky-Thompson, Video Game Design Revealed, page 12
It's not the longest or tallest viaduct in Britain, but the landscape upon which it sits makes for a stunning backdrop.
2025 October 1, Chris Howe, “Top 10: Britain's most significant rail bridges: Ribblehead Viaduct”, in RAIL, number 1045, page 57
Blackpool’s aggregate victory ensures Birmingham are now preparing for a potential summer of change. Manager Chris Hughton has been operating against a backdrop of financial uncertainty all season and last night Peter Pannu, the vice-chairman, announced that the club’s accounts would finally be published next week, and that a new investor had been identified.
2012 May 9, John Percy, “Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report”, in the Telegraph
Specifically on the question of Article 8 considerations, the Court of Appeal expressed the view that it was difficult to see how a chief constable’s decision to disclose [the applicant’s charges to the employer] could ever be challenged (see paragraph 81 above). The Court observes that the case was decided against the backdrop of a clearly-defined legislative framework (i.e., the 1997 Act, which was in force in England and Wales at the time) which the court took to be in compliance with Article 8 (see paragraph 78 above).
2012 November 13, European Court of Human Rights, M. M. v. The United Kingdom, number 24029/07, marginal 171

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Origin

noun

From back + drop.

Deep Dive

noun

More examples

Quick test

The dramatic mountain range served as a stunning blank— for the wedding photos.

Nearby

Origin

noun

The dramatic mountain range served as a stunning blank for the wedding photos.