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.
See Examples For:
In a blaring nightclub in wartime Myanmar, partied-out revellers doze until dawn by the dancefloor, wary of journeying home despite the end of a post-coup curfew.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
They took naps on Sunday to make sure they didn’t doze off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026
As her rivals nervously shuffle in their boots, Shiffrin will clear space on the ground, fold a parka as a pillow, shut her blue eyes and doze off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026
He even seemed to doze off at one point in the middle of a presentation by Dr. Mehmet Oz, who runs Medicare and Medicaid, in the Oval Office.
From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2025
“The roof of Ashton Place seems to have sprung a leak,” she thought, still in a deep doze.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Instead, Syndergaard simply dozes off as Walker talks softly to his subconscious, trying to dissolve the mental blocks that continue to hold the once-dominant right-hander back.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2023
Footage released on Tuesday shows police officers conferring on how to arrest the suspect as he apparently dozes in a car with a running engine.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2023
Jayna dozes off during the 30-minute trip down Minnesota Avenue that takes passengers past corner stores and fast food restaurants, brick rowhouses and beauty supply stores.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 29, 2023
Her second husband, Remy Burr, sits with her, and their infant son dozes in a nearby carrier.
From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2022
Soon after we’ve eaten, she dozes off, and my mom and dad settle in to watching movies.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
People dozed on station benches or sat on luggage on platforms as they waited for their trains.
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026
Sophie dozed off and woke up about 07:00 and was immediately concerned about a lack of movement.
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026
Willie the goat was roaming around a parking lot on a leash, and Penelope the pig dozed quietly in a carrier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2024
She was home at 9 p.m. and quickly dozed off, but within hours, she woke her mother up.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2024
She was trying to figure out a time during the day when it would be safe to sneak up to the attic and ask, while Mama dozed beside her.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
He can often be seen sunning himself on the dock, with other sea lions dozing or barking away nearby.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
He’s been dozing off in meetings, which led Dick Cheney’s doctor to call for a medical evaluation.
From Slate ● Jan. 26, 2026
Instances where he appears to be dozing off are just moments of relaxation, he said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 1, 2026
Sloths have a reputation for being sluggish and slow, spending most of their lives dozing in trees, but a new study suggests this is one of the enduring secrets of their success.
From BBC ● May 22, 2025
I was dozing when she first came to Pet-O-Rama, as I do during the day because hamsters are more active at night.
From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney
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.
