drop-off
noun
a vertical or very steep descent.
drop-off
American
[drop-awf, -of]
/ ˈdrɒpˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
noun
-
drop-offs
plural
-
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.
-
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]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
City had that huge drop-off under Pep in the season before last, when they were terrible for a few months, and they still made the top four.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Yes, there was a drop-off in the last 20 minutes and Malisheva got a goal back, but Gray wanted to focus on the positives post-match.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
The research found startups that provided services—for example, in mental health and tutoring—had the most drastic drop-off in staffing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Some studies have found that the additional tax on property sales has played a big role in the drop-off by adding extra costs for developers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
But she's heard something, not me, because her head turns away, toward the drop-off, and she sprints for the woods.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
When sales began to drop off because of generic entry, many pharma companies turned to mergers, which added scale and allowed them to strip out duplicative costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
The bulk of the loss in July was attributed to the local government education sector, which sees thousands of teachers drop off payrolls in the summer months.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
The gathering was prompted by an incident last week when Jenna Leventhal was on her way to drop off her daughter Ava at summer camp.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
“Cyclospora cases usually drop off towards the latter end of the summer,” Johnston said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
"I have to drop off this food at a bridal shower, girls," Mrs. Fayne said after she parked.
From "Sleepover Sleuths: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #1" by Carolyn Keene
No parking or waiting restrictions will make driving through the city centre and its vicinity difficult, even for drop-offs.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
During the school year, parking on the north side of Pico is restricted for several hours each day for student drop-offs at a nearby school, she said, forcing drivers onto her side of the street.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Residents say the worst drop-offs have been happening closest to the seat of Russian power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
The road features jaw-dropping views of the San Gabriel Valley, occasional wildflower blooms and steep drop-offs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025
Meanwhile, Barbara and John, at fourteen and eleven, needed everything from skating-lesson drop-offs to late-night homework advice.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
