nod off
Definition
Verb: * To fall asleep, especially in a light, unintended, or gradual manner, often while sitting or in a situation where one is supposed to be awake.
Usage
This verb is intransitive (it does not take a direct object) and is used to describe the act of beginning to sleep, typically for a short time. It implies a loss of the fight to stay awake, often accompanied by the head dropping forward or nodding.
Examples
- The lecture was so boring that I started to nod off.
- He nodded off in his armchair after a big lunch.
- She was so tired from her journey that she nodded off on the train.
Advanced Usage
- To be nodding off: Used in the continuous form to describe being in the process of falling asleep.
- I could see he was nodding off, so I suggested we go to bed.
Variants and Related Words
- Nod (verb): To lower and raise one's head slightly and briefly, often as a greeting or in agreement. This is the core action from which the phrasal verb "nod off" is derived, describing the head movement that often happens as one falls asleep.
- Doze off (phrasal verb): A very close synonym for "nod off," meaning to fall into a light sleep.
Synonyms
- Fall asleep
- Doze off
- Drift off
- Drop off
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Drop off: Can be a synonym for "nod off" or "fall asleep."
- He dropped off during the movie.
- Drift off: Emphasizes the gradual, gentle process of falling asleep.
- I drifted off to the sound of the rain.
Related Idioms
- Catch forty winks: To have a short, light sleep.
- I'm just going to catch forty winks before we go out.
Verb
-
change from a waking to a sleeping state
-
he always falls asleep during lectures
-
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
