nod off
B1 informal intransitive
In simple words
To accidentally fall asleep when you didn't plan to, like during a meeting or on the sofa.
Literal meaning: The head nods forward and then drops off to sleep — a vivid physical description.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
informal
To fall asleep unintentionally, especially while seated or in a situation where you should be awake.
"The lecture was so dull that half the class nodded off within the first ten minutes."
"I was nodding off in front of the fire."
— A.A. Milne, 'Winnie-the-Pooh' style narrative — widely paraphrased; actual common literary phrasing found in numerous British texts of this period
Usage notes
Very common and widely understood in British and American English. Neutral to slightly humorous tone. The phrase evokes the image of someone's head nodding forward as they fall asleep. Very natural in spoken English.
Commonly used with
meeting lecture sofa train class film
Forms
Base
nod off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
nods off
he/she/it
Past simple
noded off
yesterday
Past participle
noded off
have + pp
-ing form
noding off
continuous
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Synonyms
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