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• drop-off
  drop-off

  noun

  a vertical or very steep descent.
• drop off
  drop off

  verb

  (intr) to grow smaller or less; decline

drop-off

American  

[drop-awf, -of] / ˈdrɒpˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

drop-offs plural

1. a vertical or very steep descent.

   The trail has a drop-off of several hundred feet.

2. a decline; decrease.

   Sales have shown a considerable drop-off this year.

3. a place where a person or thing can be left, received, accommodated, etc..

   a new drop-off for outpatients.

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adjective

1. applied when a rented vehicle is left elsewhere than at the point of hire.

   to pay a drop-off charge.

drop off British  

verb

1. (intr) to grow smaller or less; decline

2. (tr) to allow to alight; set down

3. informal (intr) to fall asleep

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noun

1. a steep or vertical descent

2. a sharp decrease

drop off Idioms  

1. Fall asleep, as in When I looked at Grandma, she had dropped off . [Early 1800s]

2. Decrease; also, become less frequent. For example, Sales have dropped off markedly , or Over the year her visits dropped off . [Early 1800s]

3. Deliver, unload, as in Bill dropped off the package at the office .

4. Die, as in He is so ill he could drop off any time . [Early 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• drop-offs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of drop-off

First recorded in 1955–60; noun, adj. use of verb phrase drop off

Example Sentences

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates $36 billion to $43 billion will be needed to improve recycling curbside collection, drop-off, and processing infrastructure by 2030.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

Other numbers in Friday’s report show the drop-off on audits of corporations, as well.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

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

A separate investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is examining whether Waymo’s software behaves with the appropriate caution around schools during drop-off hours.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

Sick with jealous suspicions, Zizmo had been erratic, forgetting to schedule rendezvous, choosing drop-off points with insufficient preparation.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• diminish
• dwindle
• fall away
• fall off
• lessen
• sag
• slacken