to make a slight, quick downward bending forward of the head, as in assent, greeting, or command.
to let the head fall slightly forward with a sudden, involuntary movement when sleepy.
to doze, especially in a sitting position.
The speaker was so boring that half the audience was nodding.
to become careless, inattentive, or listless; make an error or mistake through lack of attention.
(of trees, flowers, plumes, etc.) to droop, bend, or incline with a swaying motion.
to bend (the head) in a short, quick downward movement, as of assent or greeting.
to express or signify by such a movement of the head.
to nod approval; to nod agreement.
to summon, bring, or send by a nod of the head.
to cause (something) to lean or sway; incline.
a short, quick downward bending forward of the head, as in assent, greeting, or command, or because of drowsiness.
a brief period of sleep; nap.
a bending or swaying movement.
a gesture or action indicating that someone or something has been approved, selected, recognized, etc..
The domed ceiling is a nod to traditional library reading rooms.
a nomination, as for an office or award: The film has received critical praise and two Oscar nods.
It looks like he’s locked up the party’s nod for governor.
The film has received critical praise and two Oscar nods.
nod out to fall asleep, especially owing to the effects of a drug.
nod off to fall asleep or doze, especially in a sitting position.
He was reprimanded for nodding off in class.
on the nod,
British Slang. on credit.
Slang. drowsy following a dose of a narcotic drug.
get the nod, to get approval; be selected, recognized, etc.: He got the nod as starting pitcher for the Phillies.
We’ve gotten the nod from the administration to hire two assistant professors.
He got the nod as starting pitcher for the Phillies.
give the nod, to give an indication of approval, recognition, etc.: It wasn’t till May that the company was given the nod to schedule the event.
The board gave the nod to the new proposal.
It wasn’t till May that the company was given the nod to schedule the event.
to lower and raise (the head) briefly, as to indicate agreement, invitation, etc
(tr) to express or indicate by nodding
she nodded approval
(tr) to bring or direct by nodding
she nodded me towards the manager's office
(intr) (of flowers, trees, etc) to sway or bend forwards and back
(intr) to let the head fall forward through drowsiness; be almost asleep
the old lady sat nodding by the fire
(intr) to be momentarily inattentive or careless
even Homer sometimes nods
a slight, casual, or superficial knowledge (of a subject or a person)
a quick down-and-up movement of the head, as in assent, command, etc
she greeted him with a nod
a short sleep; nap See also land of Nod
a swaying motion, as of flowers, etc, in the wind
informal
agreed, as in a committee meeting, without any formal procedure
(formerly) on credit
informal boxing the award of a contest to a competitor on the basis of points scored
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English nodde, of uncertain origin
Ultimately from Hebrew Nōdh “wandering”
When you nod, you shake your head up and down, as if you're indicating agreement. If you want to say "Yes" without uttering a single word, all you have to do is nod. There's the deliberate nod, when you agree with someone by raising and lowering your chin, and then there's the accidental nod — when you're so sleepy that your eyes close and your head dips down. You can even say you "nod off to sleep" in this case. If you know someone well enough to nod at them when you pass, but not well enough to stop and chat, you can call that person "a nodding acquaintance."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Sunday, Team Scotland stood out at the closing ceremony with traffic cone hats, in a nod to the iconic Duke of Wellingston statue.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Still, if “Tony” is about a young version of Bourdain with whom audiences aren’t familiar, Ripert’s appearance is a nod to the man he will become.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
In April, hundreds of people gathered in Dolgellau, Gwynedd, to watch filming, while Sir Anthony has also recited a Thomas poem as an apparent nod to the film.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
The document emphasizes marriage as a requirement for sex, and gives a nod to the “success sequence” of completing school, finding gainful employment, getting married, and then having children.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
She said she’d be fine and, with a brief nod and a split second of eye contact, she pulled her coat round her shoulders and carried on walking.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Appeared in the June 13, 2026, print edition as 'Paramount-Warner Deal Wins DOJ Nod'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Lost Records is made by Don't Nod, the original developers of The Life is Strange series, first released in 2015.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2025
The results provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between nitrogen nutrition, Nod factor signaling, and root microbiome assembly.
From Science Daily ● May 23, 2024
The combination of the 7 and the Nod 9 were unbelievable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2024
Thev Nod their heads yes, The blood of Chocolate running From the corners Of their mouths.
From "Neighborhood Odes" by Gary Soto
Douglas nods in agreement before adding: "We want the shows, we want the numbers, we want the awards, we want the love and we want the success."
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The language of Paragraph 5 nods at those claims.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Conversely, Colbert’s fandom can take heart in the nine Emmy nods “The Late Show” scored for its final run of episodes.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
Netflix's "Beef" topped the nominations among the limited series contenders with 16, and the streaming giant was second-best overall with 111 nods.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Rhys nods at him, and they continue to look each other up and down, like they’re trying to identify the other’s weak spots.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
He nodded to the families of “children who are not coming home, members of a very terrible club that I am a member of myself.”
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
Gunn and full-back Nathan Patterson were then caught under a Bruno Guimaraes cross as Vinicius Jr nodded in his and Brazil's second before half-time.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
I nodded, but I’d have been lying if I said I hadn’t come for the lynx—or pretended that the distant views through the scope on day one had been entirely satisfying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
Ministers gathered for a digital G7 meeting in Paris Friday made progress on online child protection but only nodded to AI's energy impact in a joint declaration on the sector's challenges.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
Mr. Haber nodded along with his hands clasped in front of him.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Madonna looks at a world where “no one wants to go outside,” nodding at the ways the COVID-19 pandemic broadly increased our isolation and made people more fearful of reality and each other.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
“It’s chicken curry. We do a different dish every day for the communal meal,” Sadeq said, nodding at the pot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
The 30-year-old's match-winning double showcased all the reasons Mourinho loved him - the first, nodding down a long ball to Wesley Sneijder and deftly netting the return pass.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
"It's going to be he and I going to November," Bianco intoned at a recent televised debate, nodding towards Hilton.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
“I sure do,” Papa said, nodding his head.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
