nodded; nodding
1
: to make a quick downward motion of the head whether deliberately (as in expressing assent or salutation) or involuntarily (as from drowsiness)
She nodded in agreement.
The guard nodded to us as we walked in.
He sat nodding by the fire.
2
: to incline or sway from the vertical as though ready to fall
signposts nodding in the wind
3
: to bend or sway the upper part gently downward or forward : bob gently
the plumes that nodded on his helmet
nodding flowers on long stems
4
: to make a slip or error in a moment of abstraction
… Fuentes nods, and his language then falls into … an overly learned mumbo-jumbo that stops the drama of his action.—
Robert Maurer
Robert Maurer1
: to incline downward or forward
nodded his head in agreement
2
: to bring, invite, or send by a nod
nodded us in
3
: to signify by a nod
nodded their approval
nodder
noun
1
: the act or an instance of nodding
gave a nod of greeting
2
: an indication especially of approval or recognition
Examples of nod in a Sentence
Verb
She nodded when I asked her if she was ready.
I asked her if she could hear me, and she nodded her head.
“The bathroom is around the corner,” he said, nodding to the left.
She nodded toward the dirty dishes and said she would get to them later.
Recent Examples on the WebIlana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 22 July 2024
In accepting his party’s vice presidential nomination two days earlier, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, a Marine veteran, memoirist, former venture capitalist and onetime fierce critic of Trump, also nodded to the importance of the key Midwest battlegrounds.
—Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2024
Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024
Officials called this commitment the Ithaca Green New Deal, a nod to the federal resolution released to much fanfare earlier that year by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, both Democrats.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for nod 
Verb
As Zahra belted the song, the alternative singer/songwriter nodded her on encouragingly.
—Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 22 July 2024
In accepting his party’s vice presidential nomination two days earlier, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, a Marine veteran, memoirist, former venture capitalist and onetime fierce critic of Trump, also nodded to the importance of the key Midwest battlegrounds.
—Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2024
Noun
Before the video ends, Perry arrives in a new suburban neighborhood and confidently walks through a glass door to fly away in a black helicopter, perhaps a nod to the glass ceiling female businesswomen shatter.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024
Officials called this commitment the Ithaca Green New Deal, a nod to the federal resolution released to much fanfare earlier that year by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, both Democrats.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for nod
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nod.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near nod
Cite this Entry
“Nod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nod. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nod
1 of 2 verb
nodded; nodding
1
: to bend the head downward or forward (as in bowing or going to sleep or as a way of answering "yes")
2
: to move up and down
the tulips nodded in the breeze
3
: to show by a nod of the head
nod agreement
4
: to let one's attention roam for a moment and make an error
nodder
noun
nod
2 of 2 noun
: the action of nodding
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