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:
Airport drop-off charges are to be reviewed by the government following sharp price increases in recent years.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
But they also noted that some of the drop-off this year coincided with the Winter Olympics and the World Cup.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
She met me at the Terminal 1 curb and we walked to Premier check-in for bag drop-off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
“Breakfast” typically consists of coffee and a protein bar eaten as she pulls out of the school drop-off line.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
He had just gotten a drop-off of new stuff: sodas, chips, cleaning products, cereal.
From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds
The company also said the drop off was "not necessarily bot behaviour on social media platforms".
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
The ports are considering paying truckers $60 each time they pick up or drop off containers with a zero-emission vehicle, up to a maximum $36,000 per truck per year, over the next three years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The only issue came at one airport drop off when a slightly ajar door made Waymo think something was wrong.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Gerry always wanted to drop off deeper because he wasn't overly quick, whereas Michael was fast and didn't ever worry about leaving space behind him.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
“No worries, then. Come along, I’ve got to make a hop to RAF Branston and drop off another ferry pilot.”
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
The added bonus— I could do all of this between school drop-offs, pick-ups and everything in between.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
There are taxi drop-offs and pick-up sites and also car-parking on site.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Trade body Airports UK said free drop-offs were available and fees were part of airports' business models and climate change objectives.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 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
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
