drop-off
noun
a vertical or very steep descent.
drop-off
American
[drop-awf, -of]
/ ˈdrɒpˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
noun
-
a vertical or very steep descent.
The trail has a drop-off of several hundred feet.
-
a decline; decrease.
Sales have shown a considerable drop-off this year.
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a place where a person or thing can be left, received, accommodated, etc..
a new drop-off for outpatients.
adjective
drop off
British
verb
-
(intr) to grow smaller or less; decline
-
(tr) to allow to alight; set down
-
informal (intr) to fall asleep
noun
-
a steep or vertical descent
-
a sharp decrease
drop off
Idioms
-
Fall asleep, as in When I looked at Grandma, she had dropped off . [Early 1800s]
-
Decrease; also, become less frequent. For example, Sales have dropped off markedly , or Over the year her visits dropped off . [Early 1800s]
-
Deliver, unload, as in Bill dropped off the package at the office .
-
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.
The latest drop-off fee hike follows a 142% rise in the Edinburgh Airport business rates which Dewar claims is the largest increase in costs faced by any airport in Scotland and the UK.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
At the moment, the cars require energy management techniques such as recovering energy while on full throttle, which leads to a speed drop-off before corners and through some fast curves.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Amazon’s network of more than 10,000 drop-off points for returns includes locations like Whole Foods Market, the UPS Store, FedEx Office, Kohl’s and Staples.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
With the help of UPS’s network of trucks, Happy moves returns from shopper drop-off back to retailers’ docks in as little as 3.6 days, with an average return transit time of seven days.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
He kept his eyes on the high school drop-off area, too.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
