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  • drop-off
    drop-off
    noun
    a vertical or very steep descent.
  • drop off
    drop off
    verb
    (intr) to grow smaller or less; decline
Synonyms

drop-off

American  
[drop-awf, -of] / ˈdrɒpˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

  1. a vertical or very steep descent.

    The trail has a drop-off of several hundred feet.

  2. a decline; decrease.

    Sales have shown a considerable drop-off this year.

  3. a place where a person or thing can be left, received, accommodated, etc..

    a new drop-off for outpatients.

adjective

  1. applied when a rented vehicle is left elsewhere than at the point of hire.

    to pay a drop-off charge.
drop off British  

verb

  1. (intr) to grow smaller or less; decline

  2. (tr) to allow to alight; set down

  3. informal (intr) to fall asleep

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a steep or vertical descent

  2. a sharp decrease

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
drop off Idioms  

  1. Fall asleep, as in When I looked at Grandma, she had dropped off . [Early 1800s]

  2. Decrease; also, become less frequent. For example, Sales have dropped off markedly , or Over the year her visits dropped off . [Early 1800s]

  3. Deliver, unload, as in Bill dropped off the package at the office .

  4. Die, as in He is so ill he could drop off any time . [Early 1800s]

Etymology

Origin of drop-off

First recorded in 1955–60; noun, adj. use of verb phrase drop off

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.

Drop off a big batch of meatballs in sauce, along with some sliced rolls, fresh mozzarella, and a box of bucatini to give the gift of several meals.

From Salon • Jun. 17, 2022

Drop off your card at any Seattle Public Library branch.

From Seattle Times • May 20, 2022

Drop off newly printed menus as well as a cook from the company’s culinary innovation team, whom Chang will first pick up in Fredericksburg.

From Washington Post • Mar. 16, 2015

Drop off your four-legged friend at the in-building spa.

From Chicago Tribune • Feb. 9, 2014

"Drop off, Tom, drop off!" yelled the boys.

From The Bobbsey Twins in the Country by Hope, Laura Lee

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.