Meaning & use

dozed off

phrase·Everyday

Fell into a light, unintended sleep, usually while trying to stay awake.

See it in a sentence

He dozed off in front of the television before the movie even ended.

She dozed off during the lecture after staying up all night studying.

A note on using this word

Doze off is a phrasal verb; 'doze' alone describes the same light sleep without emphasizing the sudden onset.

Words with a similar meaning

nodded offdrifted off

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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