1 C1 idiomatic slang
To fall asleep suddenly, especially from tiredness.
"He gonked out on the sofa before the film even started."
gonk out
C1 slang intransitive
A dialectal or very informal British variant of 'conk out', meaning to fall asleep suddenly or (of a machine) to stop working.
In plain English
To suddenly fall asleep, or for a machine to suddenly stop working.
What does "gonk out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic slang
(Of a machine or engine) to stop working suddenly.
"The old generator gonked out halfway through the event."
Usage tip
Extremely rare and very regionally specific. Likely a phonetic variant of 'conk out'. May not be widely recognised outside of certain British English dialects. ESL learners are better served by learning 'conk out' instead.
Words that pair with "gonk out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
sofa chair machine car tired exhausted
How to conjugate "gonk out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
gonk out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gonks out
he/she/it
Past simple
gonked out
yesterday
Past participle
gonked out
have + pp
-ing form
gonking out
continuous
Hear "gonk out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "gonk out"
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