To stop paying attention to what is happening around you, drifting into a kind of mental absence
To stop thinking or listening and just kind of stare at nothing — like your brain turns off
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To stop paying attention to your surroundings, often involuntarily, becoming mentally absent
"I totally zoned out during the last half of the meeting and missed the key points."
I zone out a lot. I'm not the most attentive person.
— Ellen DeGeneres, The Ellen DeGeneres Show (various episodes, widely quoted)
To enter a relaxed, unaware state deliberately — to mentally switch off and rest
"After a stressful week, she just wanted to zone out in front of a movie."
Very common in everyday spoken English, especially among younger speakers. Usually happens accidentally. Often used to describe a moment during a boring meeting, class, or conversation.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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