drop off — 3 meanings

One phrase, 3 different jobs. Tap a meaning to jump to it — then lock each one in by saying it out loud.

phrasal verb3 meanings

1 take and leaveTo take someone or something to a place and leave them there, usually by car.
2 fall asleepTo fall asleep, especially without meaning to.
3 decreaseTo become less in amount, level, or number.

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take and leave

B1drop sb/sth off sth)spokenMost common

To take someone or something to a place and leave them there, usually by car.

Could you drop me off at the train station on your way to work?

A: Are you driving past the library?
B: Yeah, I can drop you off if you want.

In my hometown, parents usually drop off their children at school before going to work.

Common mistake

✗Can you drop off me at the corner?

✓Can you drop me off at the corner?

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'drop me off'.

Tell it apart

Drop me off at the station.

take and leave me there

Pick me up at the station.

come and get me

Use 'drop off' when you bring someone or something and leave them at a place, not when you collect them.Not the same as 'pick up', which means to collect.

Often paired with

drop + person + off

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fall asleep

B2drop offspokeninformal

To fall asleep, especially without meaning to.

I was so tired that I dropped off in front of the TV last night.

A: Did you hear the end of the movie?
B: No, I dropped off halfway through.

Sometimes, after a long day at university, I drop off as soon as I sit on the sofa.

Common mistake

✗I was so tired I dropped off myself.

✓I was so tired I just dropped off.

'Drop off' (fall asleep) is intransitive — no object or reflexive.

Tell it apart

I dropped off during the meeting.

fell asleep

I dropped the report off at the office.

delivered it

This sense is informal and often used when someone falls asleep quickly or unexpectedly.Not to be confused with 'nod off', which has a similar meaning but is even more informal.

Often paired with

drop off (asleep)

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decrease

B2drop off

To become less in amount, level, or number.

Sales usually drop off after the holiday season.

A: How's your workload this month?
B: It dropped off a lot after the big project finished.

According to the chart, the number of visitors drops off sharply in the winter months.

Common mistake

✗Attendance dropped off down after summer.

✓Attendance dropped off after summer.

'Drop off' already means decrease — don't add 'down'.

Tell it apart

Visitor numbers dropped off in winter.

decreased

I dropped the kids off at school.

took and left them

Use this sense to talk about numbers, amounts, or levels going down.Different from 'drop out', which means to quit something.

Often paired with

drop off + metric

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take and leave fall asleep decrease