zone out

Idioms and Phrases

Stop paying attention, dissociate oneself from a situation. Also, engage in a mindless activity. For example, When Felicia starts talking about her ailments and her friends' ailments, I totally zone out . This idiom also occurs in the passive, be zoned out . It originally alluded to narcotic intoxication and then was broadened to other kinds of dissociation. For a near synonym, see tune out , def. 2. [ Slang ; second half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

“Sometimes I would even zone out completely,” she writes on her website, WaterWhisperers.

From The Daily Beast

Air travelers zone out or read magazines while the flight attendants point out the escape routes.

From The Daily Beast

After several hours of testimony explaining his calculations, some jurors seemed to zone out.

From The Daily Beast

You zone out until what I'm trying to convey reaches critical mass, and then kaboom, and I'm the bad guy, and bye- bye messenger.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• lose consciousness
• pass out