doze
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
to sleep lightly or fitfully.
-
to fall into a light sleep unintentionally (often followed byoff ).
He dozed off during the sermon.
-
to sleep for a short time; nap.
-
to be dull or half asleep.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb (used with or without object)
verb
-
to sleep lightly or intermittently
-
(often foll by off) to fall into a light sleep
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of doze1
1640–50; originally (now obsolete) to stupefy, make drowsy; compare Scots, N England dialect dozened, Middle English ( Scots ) dosnyt, dosinnit stupefied, dazed; akin to Old Norse dūsa rest, Swedish dialect dusa doze, slumber, Middle Low German dusen to be thoughtless; cf. daze
Origin of doze2
First recorded in 1940–45; shortened form of bulldoze
Explanation
Are you sleepy? Maybe you need to doze a little. To doze is to sleep lightly or to take a nap. To doze is to just have a little sleep: either a short nap or a very light snooze. Since doze and snooze almost rhyme — and snoring sounds a little like ZZZZZZZZZZZ — the letter Z might be a good way to remember this word. Just make sure you don't "doze off" in class.
Vocabulary lists containing doze
The Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Festival of Sleep Day
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Voyage of the Frog
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There’s nothing you have to do — Doze mode automatically kicks in when your phone has been unplugged and motionless for a certain length of time.
From The Verge • Aug. 1, 2022
In the summer of 1977, two years after that first long-distance call, having negotiated the initial Doze homestead settlement, Paul Barrett finally flew to the Wrangell Mountains to see the family secret for himself.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 8, 2022
Doze off, and he might transform into a human alarm clock, piercing the cabin with an ear-splitting scream.
From Washington Post • Mar. 10, 2015
Mr. Buffard, Matthieu Doze and Christophe Ives are both the bodies and the forces.
From New York Times • Oct. 22, 2010
It is not a rifacimento of compliments; such is not the style with which I am saluted by the Duke of Doze and the Earl of Leatherdale!
From Vivian Grey by Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
