nod

1 of 3

verb

ˈnäd 

nodded; nodding

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

1

: 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

nod

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

: the act or an instance of nodding

gave a nod of greeting

2

: an indication especially of approval or recognition

nodder

3 of 3

noun (2)

nod·​der

ˈnädə(r)

plural -s

: one that nods

Synonyms of nod

Verb

• bob
• shake
• pump
• sway

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 Web

Verb

Vintage finds, including an antique Swedish farm table, sit alongside custom bronze racks, while a swath of grass has been installed along the length of the shopfront window, nodding to the prairies of Wescoat Pound’s native Midwest. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Jain is overseeing a unit that includes the likes of Rivals, Extraordinary and Stephen Graham’s A Thousand Blows, three huge shows that helped score Disney+ a record 15 BAFTA TV Award nods in March. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026

Noun

There was the title, an obvious nod to the first Zuckerberg film, and ads used bits of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ score. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2026

In knee-high pink heels, Adéla led a team of backup dancers on an empty stage accented by a dance barre, a nod to her own training as a ballet dancer. — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English nodden; perhaps akin to Old High German hnotōn to shake

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nod

• get the nod
• give someone a nod
• give someone the nod
• nod off
• on the nod

Rhymes for nod

• awed
• baaed
• baud
• bawd
• brod
• clawed
• cod
• flawed
• fraud
• gnawed
• god
• jawed

Kids Definition

nod

1 of 2 verb

ˈnäd 

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