Drop off meaning
Drop off means to take someone or something somewhere by car and leave them there. It can also mean to fall asleep, especially without planning to.
drop somebody or something off
drop off · dropped · dropping
I’ll drop you off at the station on my way.
Drop off meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Take someone or something somewhere by car and leave them there
drop somebody or something off
- I’ll drop you off at the station on my way.
- Can you drop off this parcel at the post office?
- Mum dropped us off outside the cinema.
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2
Fall asleep, especially without planning to
drop off
- I dropped off in front of the TV again.
- The baby finally dropped off at midnight.
- Did you drop off during the film?
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3
Become less in number or amount
drop off
- Sales usually drop off after Christmas.
- Visitor numbers dropped off when the rain started.
- Interest in the app didn’t drop off at all.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use drop off in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is drop off separable?
When it means leave someone or something, drop off is separable: drop off the kids or drop the kids off. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: drop me off.
The noun is drop-off: a drop-off point, the school drop-off. For sleep and decrease there is no object: I dropped off. Numbers dropped off.
Verb tenses for drop off
| Present | I drop off · she drops off |
|---|---|
| Past | dropped off |
| Present perfect | have dropped off |
| -ing form | dropping off |
Common mistakes with drop off
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Can you drop off me at the corner?
Right: Can you drop me off at the corner?
A pronoun goes between drop and off.
Wrong: I’ll drop you off to the airport.
Right: I’ll drop you off at the airport.
Use at for the place where you leave someone.
Wrong: I dropped off my phone and it broke.
Right: I dropped my phone and it broke.
When something falls from your hand, say drop, not drop off.
Synonyms and opposites of drop off
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- give someone a liftUK, take someone in your car; US says ride
- nod offfall asleep for a short time, very close to drop off
- hand ingive work or a form to someone in charge
Opposite
- pick upcollect someone or something, often by car
- wake upstop sleeping
Drop off quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Could you ___ me ___ at the gym on your way to work?
Drop someone off means take them somewhere and leave them there.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes in the middle, and the place takes at.
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3“Grandpa dropped off in his chair after lunch.” What happened?
Drop off can mean fall asleep.
More phrasal verbs with drop
2 phrasal verbs start with drop. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Drop off FAQ
Questions people ask about drop off.
What is the difference between drop off and pick up?
You drop someone off when you leave them at a place. You pick them up when you collect them from there.
What does drop off mean for sleep?
It means fall asleep, often by accident: I always drop off on the train. Nod off means the same.
Is it drop off or drop-off?
Drop off, two words, is the verb. Drop-off, with a hyphen, is the noun or adjective: the drop-off zone.
Use drop off in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.