conk out
phr. v..phr. v.. to suddenly stop working or to fall asleep very quickly because you are exhausted.
phr. v.. to fail or cease functioning abruptly, typically regarding mechanical equipment; also used informally to describe a person losing consciousness or falling asleep due to fatigue.
My old car finally conked out on the highway.
I was so tired after the long hike that I conked out on the sofa before dinner.
The air conditioning unit conked out during the peak of the heatwave, leaving the office staff in an unbearable environment.
Possibly an onomatopoeic imitation of the sound of a stalling internal combustion engine. Possibly coined by British motorcyclists circa 1910.
highly informal; usually used for machines breaking down or people falling into a deep sleep.
this is a great example of an onomatopoeic phrasal verb where the sound 'conk' suggests a sudden mechanical stop or a blow to the head.
The engine conked out it.The engine conked out.this phrasal verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.