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food coma

American  
[food koh-muh] / ˈfud ˌkoʊ mə /

noun

Informal.
  1. a state of drowsiness or lethargy brought on by eating a heavy meal or food high in carbohydrates.

    As happens when you eat a giant portion of lasagna and a cheesecake, the food coma smacked me like a commuter train.


Etymology

Origin of food coma

First recorded in 1985–90

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 small plates are delicious and perfect for an aperó before falling into a quenelle-induced food coma.

From Washington Post • May 20, 2022

We would eat so much, a food coma was inevitable and all of us would end up lying down on their carpet.

From Fox News • Dec. 17, 2021

This quick, hearty soup will warm you up without sending you back into last night's food coma.

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2021

Wally nods with, “And then what happened?” and “Wow!,” until the third act, when he erupts from his food coma and asks if André really wants to hear what he thinks of it all.

From New York Times • Oct. 11, 2021

If you’re still recovering from a food coma, here are some fun, relaxing things you can do over the next few days.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 27, 2020