✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

drift off

phrasal verb

drifted off; drifting off; drifts off
informal
: to fall asleep
She drifted off while I was still talking.
He gradually drifted off to sleep.

Examples of drift off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mzoo Luxury Sleep Eye Mask Speaking of catching ZZZ’s, the Mzoo Luxury Sleep Eye Mask makes drifting off anywhere feel downright indulgent. Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025 And their eyes keep drifting off camera. Rebecca Knight, Harvard Business Review, 20 Nov. 2025 Deliberate mind wandering, where people give themselves the freedom to drift off-subject, allowing their thoughts to take a different course. Liz Regalia, Parents, 28 Oct. 2025 Šobat wasn’t supposed to relax enough to actually drift off, though. Sean Williams, Outside, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for drift off

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drift off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drift%20off. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!