zone out
B1 informal inseparable intransitive
In simple words
To stop thinking or listening and just kind of stare at nothing — like your brain turns off
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
informal
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)
Grammar: inseparable
2 B1
idiomatic
informal
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."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
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.
Commonly used with
meeting class lecture conversation TV daydream
Forms
Base
zone out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
zones out
he/she/it
Past simple
zoned out
yesterday
Past participle
zoned out
have + pp
-ing form
zoning out
continuous
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Synonyms
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