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

Father Michael looked around the room, half-full of nodding women. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Gap even takes things up a notch by swathing certain Five-Pocket selections in vegan suede and multiple shades of canvas — effectively nodding to its other beloved bottoms options. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026

Sklar says there were head-nodding statues in China at least a few hundred years ago, seen by Europeans who brought versions back with them. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

When the Kirk family attorney spoke about how Charlie Kirk stood for the opposite of hate, Erika Kirk was crying and nodding along. — Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

For a drink that leans more directly into its surroundings, the Olivera Mallorquina combines Suau, a gin distilled on the island, with an olive lemonade nodding to one of Mallorca's signature crops. — Rachel Dube, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Agave, corn, and jamaica (hibiscus) flavor the house coffees, teas, and other drinks, nodding to heritage flavors. — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

Interiors are a fresh take on classic British West Indies elegance, nodding to the overall aesthetic of Little Palm’s past but re-interpreting it as tropical chic of the present. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026

The name Adelaide has royal roots as well, nodding to Queen Adelaide, the wife of King William IV. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026