spaced-out
adjective
dazed or stupefied because of the influence of narcotic drugs.
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spaced-out
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spaced out
spaced outadjectiveintoxicated through or as if through taking a drug
spaced-out
American
[spayst-aut]
/ ˈspeɪstˈaʊt /
Also
spaced
adjective
Informal.
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dazed or stupefied because of the influence of narcotic drugs.
The spaced-out main characters are the primary feature of a stoner comedy.
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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
British
adjective
Etymology
Origin of spaced-out
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
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:
The shiny-faced, spaced-out humans of 2024 have ceded their place to an expanded host of critters, letting Coke dodge the “uncanny valley” where nearly real simulations of people wind up unsettling viewers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2025
The tour is in support of the band's seventh album, The Car, which builds on the lounge-y, spaced-out orchestral vibes of their previous record, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.
From BBC ● May 29, 2023
It’s only two minutes long, but “Amber,” from the second half of the project, runs like a spaced-out symphony.
From New York Times ● May 27, 2022
In the Albany region, BRT lines have spaced-out stations and technology to prioritize buses at intersections, but lack many advanced features.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 23, 2021
They will need a teacher who turns out strong, free-thinking individuals, *not* spaced-out, dependent disciples.
From Take Me for a Ride: coming of age in a destructive cult by Mark Eliot Laxer
But in “Masquerade,” six cohorts of 60 audience members need to be spaced out evenly as they take in the show in a 30,000-square-foot, five-floor warehouse once occupied by an art supply company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026
Truthful and concerning accounts, all of them—but few and far between, spaced out over a span of years to make it seem like these are common rather than exceptional occurrences.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2025
Her first college game came in an eerily quiet setting: no fans, players spaced out on bleachers and some wearing masks to protect against the coronavirus.
From New York Times ● Apr. 2, 2024
According to the plea agreement, he originally wrote M.S.D. — the same initials as Magnolia School District — on the checks, with the letters spaced out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2024
There were several rows of tables with typewriters, spaced out every three feet.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
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.
