English Reference
Idiom idiom

drift off

Meaning

To fall asleep slowly.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Examples
SIMPLE

“I usually drift off while reading in bed.”

CONTEXTUAL

“The soft music helped the tired child drift off after a long day.”

COMPLEX

“As the rhythmic sound of the rain tapped against the window, he finally began to drift off into a deep, peaceful slumber.”

Anchors to
Related idioms3entries
  1. 01

    catch someone's drift

    To understand the meaning or implications of someone’s pronouncement.

  2. 02

    drift apart

    To lose contact, to lose one's friendship or closeness.

  3. 03

    get the drift

    To understand, at least on some basic or general level.

Last updated August 10, 2026