spaced-out

[ speyst-out ]

adjective

, Informal.

1. dazed or stupefied because of the influence of narcotic drugs:

   The spaced-out main characters are the primary feature of a stoner comedy.

2. dreamily or eerily out of touch with reality or seemingly so; spacey:

   He was rushed to the hospital with signs of a concussion, including spaced-out and confused behavior.

spaced out

adjective

1. slang.
   intoxicated through or as if through taking a drug Often shortened tospaced

Word History and Origins

Origin of spaced-out¹

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70; on the pattern of phrasal verbs with out marking completed action, such as tired out; space apparently by association with “outer space” as, metaphorically, a place outside normal consciousness

Example Sentences

Spaced out, we learned, in order to minimize the risk in a potential air attack on Hanford.

From The Daily Beast