drop-off

1 of 2

noun

ˈdräp-ˌȯf 

1

: a very steep or perpendicular descent

2

: a marked dwindling or decline

a drop-off in attendance

3

: the act or an instance of making a usually brief deposit or delivery

drop-off points along the route

drop off

2 of 2

verb

ˌdräp-ˈȯf 

dropped off; dropping off; drops off

intransitive verb

: to fall asleep

Synonyms

Noun

• abatement
• decline
• decrease
• decrement
• dent
• depletion
• depression
• diminishment
• diminution
• drop
• fall
• falloff
• loss
• reduction
• shrinkage
• step-down

Examples of drop-off in a Sentence

Noun

the drop-off in movie attendance was the greatest in more than a decade

Verb

my interest in photography has dropped off over the years

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Uber and Lyft drop-off zones can be found in the rideshare lot on Jimmy Durante Boulevard (look for the purple flags) Public transit: North County Transit District is offering its Fair Tripper package again this year. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2024

Duncan said that the slight drop-off to the largely positive sentiment from the seller side could be a sign of a more favorable market to come. —Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 7 June 2024

Verb

Every day, people come to the gate of Kano’s Freedom Radio station to drop off sheets of paper containing heartfelt appeals for help paying medical bills or school fees, or to recover from some disaster. —Ismail Auwal Taiwo Aina, New York Times, 11 June 2024

Daily, up to 10 trucks drop off bare wire, cable, and copper scrap at the Nexans mill. —Jennifer McDermott, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1923, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1812, in the meaning defined above