dropping off

Verb

drop off (third-person singular simple present drops off, present participle dropping off, simple past and past participle dropped off)

1. (idiomatic, intransitive) To fall asleep.
   • After two glasses of whiskey, Tom soon dropped off in front of the television.

   Synonyms:

   drift off, doze off, crash out, fall asleep, get off, go night-night, go to sleep, nod off, nod out, sack out

2. (US, especially, idiomatic, transitive) To deliver; to deposit or leave; to allow passengers to alight.
   • Can you drop the kids off at school?
3. (also, figuratively, transitive) To drop from, fall from.
   • The leaves were slowly dropping off the tree.
4. (also, figuratively, intransitive) To drop, fall.
   • The leaves hung on until the end of November, then dropped off quickly.
5. (figuratively, intransitive) To end a connection with a telephone queue, either by hanging up or after being served or processed.
   • As soon as a caller drops off, we'll have an open line and maybe you can reach us then.
6. (intransitive) To lessen or reduce.
   • Near-synonyms: taper off, dwindle

   Synonyms:

   fall off, taper off, dwindle

See all 8 meanings of drop off