English Reference
Idiom idiom

nod off

Meaning

To fall asleep, especially unintentionally.

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

Examples
SIMPLE

“I often nod off while watching movies at night.”

CONTEXTUAL

“The lecture was so boring that I started to nod off in the middle of the room.”

COMPLEX

“Exhausted from the long journey, he struggled to stay awake but eventually nodded off in his chair.”

Anchors to
Related idioms3entries
  1. 01

    get the nod

    be selected; be approved

  2. 02

    nod out

    To become drowsy and fall asleep; nod off.

  3. 03

    nodding acquaintance

    A casual or partial familiarity; a relationship which is not close or fully developed; an inexact understanding (of something).

Last updated August 10, 2026