nod off

verb

1. informal.
   intr, adverb to fall asleep

Idioms and Phrases

Fall asleep momentarily, doze, as in Grandma spends a lot of time in her rocking chair, nodding off now and then . This expression alludes to the quick involuntary dropping of one's head from an upright position when drowsy or napping. The verb nod alone was so used from the mid-1500s. Also see drop off , def. 1.

Example Sentences

A snapshot of Edim’s life as an undergraduate at Howard University during this time should make any professor think twice about judging students who nod off in class.

From Los Angeles Times

But he doesn’t blame Trump for appearing to possibly nod off at times.

From Seattle Times

Trump's facial expressions weren't always clear through the feed, though he at times appeared to watch Cohen intently and at least once seemed to nod off.

From Salon

Although there are no cameras allowed in the courtroom, we can go by eyewitness accounts: On April 15, during last-minute pretrial proceedings, Trump “appeared to nod off a few times,” according to the New York Times, “his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest.”

From Slate

And so the New York Times reported on the first day that Trump “appeared to nod off a few times, his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest,” and that the former president’s lawyer “passed him notes for several minutes before Mr. Trump appeared to jolt awake and notice them.”

From Slate

Related Words

• bed down
• doze
• fall asleep
• languish
• relax
• snooze