zone out

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

To stop paying attention and think about something else, or to think about nothing

Register: informal

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “zone out” mean?

To stop paying attention and think about something else, or to think about nothing

Is “zone out” formal or informal?

zone out is generally informal.