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.
(intr) to grow smaller or less; decline
(tr) to allow to alight; set down
informal (intr) to fall asleep
a steep or vertical descent
a sharp decrease
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]
First recorded in 1955–60; noun, adj. use of verb phrase drop off
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As the voters deliver their ballots to neighborhood drop-off sites and others wait to vote in person Tuesday, Times reporters fanned out across the city to ask residents whom they planned to support for mayor.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
Currently, Edinburgh Airport's drop-off fee is £6 while the short-stay terminal car park costs £7 for up to 15 minutes wait time and £14 for 30 minutes.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
As the drone approaches each drop-off point, it knows exactly where to release the package using GPS.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
Meanwhile, residents in the $3 million homes surrounding the campus—a former elementary school—complained about parents clogging the streets with Teslas at pickup and drop-off.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
“Bring the kid by the science lab,” he offered as we walked from the drop-off loop.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
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.
