Synonyms of nodding

nodding 1 of 2

adjective

ˈnä-diŋ 

as in bowing

bending downward or forward

some students, with nodding heads, were helplessly falling asleep during the boring lecture

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bowing
• weeping
• bowed
• falling
• hanging
• dangling
• descending
• declined
• hung
• declining
• sagging
• drooping
• inclining
• floppy
• stooping
• pendulous
• descendant
• droopy
• sinking
• suspended
• dipping
• limp
• pendent
• slumping

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• upright
• erect
• rigid
• stiff
• unbending
• inflexible
• elevated
• upraised
• raised

nodding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of nod

as in bobbing

to make short up-and-down movements

though she couldn't see the rain, she knew it had started because she could see the flowers nod as raindrops hit them

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bobbing
• shaking
• pumping
• jerking
• swaying
• wagging
• jogging
• bobbling
• jouncing
• seesawing
• ducking
• wiggling
• rocking
• swinging
• wobbling
• jiggling
• oscillating
• undulating
• dropping

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of nodding

Adjective

James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head. — Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021

Verb

Then another, until heads were nodding across the screen, quietly, almost in unison. — Dr. Sarah Berg, Time, 9 July 2026

Miller’s exact dress from Debute London, which features a bustier top, lace trim, and a short hemline, is a great example of the details that turn the trend more contemporary, while still nodding to its nostalgic, charming nature. — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 3 July 2026

Nike sneakers emblazoned with the Haitian flag, nodding to her Haitian roots. — Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Formalwear embraced a relaxed attitude, with most of the blazers coming collarless, or with mandarin collars and kimono-inspired, paired with looser-fit trousers nodding to pajamas. — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 June 2026

From set pieces, Norway looked giant, with Leo Ostigard nodding in their third goal from a Martin Odegaard corner. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 June 2026

Architect Hugo Toro’s design is best described as neo-Pullman, clearly nodding to the brand’s trains with Art Deco–style mirrors and deep, rich colors. — Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 19 June 2026

Burke has pleaded not guilty and followed the Wednesday hearing intently, nodding along as the judge spoke. — Nancy Dillon, VIBE.com, 17 June 2026

The pianist Víkingur Ólafsson played the aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, nodding to the fact that Gehry was born Ephraim Goldberg, in Canada. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026