Meaning & use
zoned out
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparableinformal
Unable to concentrate because your mind has drifted away, often staring blankly at nothing.
Grammar: Used after linking verbs like be, look, or seem: She looked zoned out. It is not used before a noun in most casual speech.
Patterns
- be zoned out
- look zoned out
- seem zoned out
- get zoned out
After three hours of lectures I was completely zoned out and missed the last question.
He looked zoned out during the meeting, so I asked him if he was feeling okay.
The music was so repetitive that I got zoned out and forgot where I was.
adjectivenot comparableinformal
Not paying attention to what is happening around you because you are tired or bored.
Grammar: Often used with sit, stand, or stare to describe someone's behavior: He sat zoned out by the window.
Patterns
- sit zoned out
- stand zoned out
- stare zoned out
The students sat zoned out at their desks until the bell rang.
She stood zoned out in the hallway, not noticing that everyone had left.
Common combinations
- completely zoned out
- By the end of the film I was completely zoned out.
- zoned out during something
- He zoned out during the safety demonstration.
- look zoned out
- You look zoned out — did you get any sleep?
- get zoned out
- I get zoned out when I study late at night.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spaced out
- Very similar in meaning, but often suggests a dreamy or slightly strange state rather than simple tiredness.
- distracted
- More neutral and formal; it means your attention is pulled away by something else, not that your mind has gone blank.
- absent-minded
- Describes a person who often forgets things, not a temporary moment of staring into space.
Opposites
Word family
- zone out phrasal verb
- The action of losing concentration: I zoned out for a minute.
- zoned adjective
- Shortened informal form used in the same way: He was totally zoned.
Commonly confused: zoned out or zoned?
zoned out vs zoned
Zoned can also mean divided into areas (zoned for housing) or, informally, under the influence of drugs. Zoned out usually just means distracted or blank.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'zoned out' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The adjective 'zoned out' follows a linking verb like 'was' to describe a state. Option A uses 'zoned out' as a verb, which is wrong because the verb is 'zone out' (no -ed after zone). Option C invents 'zoned outed'. Option D mixes present continuous 'is zoning out' with past 'didn't hear', which is inconsistent.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “zoned out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.