nod

IPA/nɒd/
KK[nˈɑd]IPA/nɑːd/

nod — verb

  • nodpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • nodshe / she / it
  • noddedpast simple
  • nodding-ing form

1. If you nod, you briefly drop your chin and raise it again, using this motion to

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

If you nod, you briefly drop your chin and raise it again, using this motion to greet someone, show agreement or understanding, or indicate that you are ready or willing.

Example

Kenji nodded when the teacher asked if everyone understood the instructions.

nodded + when-clause for agreement

Soraya smiled and nodded at her neighbour as they passed in the hallway.

nod at + person for greeting

Common collocations
  • nod in agreement
  • nod at someone
  • nod to someone
  • nod enthusiastically
  • nod politely
  • nod vigorously
  • nod approvingly
Synonyms
  • bow

    a deeper, more formal bending of the whole upper body; nod is quicker and less formal

  • signal

    broader — can involve hands, eyes, or objects; nod is specifically head movement

  • gesture

    broader — any meaningful body movement; nod is a specific type of gesture

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

nod

nod at/to + person

nod + head

nod + that-clause

Usage Note

This is the only sense of 'nod' used for deliberate social communication. When transitive, the only natural object is 'head' — you cannot 'nod a person' or 'nod a greeting' directly. Use 'nod at someone' or 'nod to someone' for the person being greeted.

Common Mistakes

I nodded him when I saw him.
I nodded at him when I saw him.
'nod' is usually intransitive when referring to the person; use 'nod at/to + person'.

2. If your head drops forward because you are very sleepy and beginning to fall asl

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

If your head drops forward because you are very sleepy and beginning to fall asleep, especially while seated in a chair or on a bus.

Example

Layla began to nod during the long afternoon lecture on ancient history.

begin to nod + during + activity

The old man sat in his armchair and nodded, his book slipping to the floor.

Common collocations
  • nod off
  • begin to nod
  • head nodded
  • nod forward
Synonyms
  • doze off

    suggests light sleep, whereas 'nod' focuses on the head motion

  • drop off

    informal, implies falling asleep fully; 'nod' may not lead to sleep

  • drift off

    gentler, suggesting a gradual transition; 'nod' is more abrupt

Antonyms
  • wake up

    the opposite state — becoming alert rather than drowsy

Grammar Patterns

nod

begin to nod

nod + preposition (during, over, at)

nod off

Usage Note

The phrasal verb 'nod off' is far more common than the bare 'nod' for the meaning 'fall asleep'. Bare 'nod' typically describes only the head-dropping motion, whereas 'nod off' implies the person actually falls asleep briefly. Use the continuous form (was nodding / nodding off) naturally.

Common Mistakes

I nodded during the meeting.' (ambiguous — could mean agreement or drowsiness)
I nodded off during the meeting.
Use 'nod off' to make the falling-asleep meaning clear.

3. to gently move the top part up and down or from side to side, as flowers, leaves

3.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to gently move the top part up and down or from side to side, as flowers, leaves, or lightweight objects do when pushed by moving air.

Example

The tall grasses nodded gently in the evening breeze near the river.

nod in + breeze (nature)

Bright red poppies nodded among the wheat as the wind swept across the field.

Common collocations
  • nod gently
  • nod softly
  • nod in the breeze
  • nod in the wind
Synonyms
  • sway

    can describe larger, slower movements of trees and people; 'nod' implies a smaller, quicker bob of the top part only

  • bob

    describes a quick up-and-down movement, often on water; 'nod' is gentler

  • bend

    implies the plant temporarily changes shape; 'nod' suggests a repeated gentle motion

Antonyms
  • stand still

    remaining motionless, the opposite of the gentle movement described

Grammar Patterns

nod in/with + wind/breeze

nod + adverb (gently, softly)

Usage Note

This is a literary or descriptive sense, more common in poetry and nature writing than in everyday speech. The subject is almost always a plant, tree, flower, or lightweight flexible object. Not used for mechanical or violent movement.

Phrasal verbs

nod off

phrasal verb

to gradually fall asleep, especially when you are sitting somewhere and do not intend to sleep.

Christopher nodded off during the movie because he had not slept well the night before.

The warm classroom made several students nod off during the maths test.

Idioms

nod — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These three words share the idea of communicating without speech, but each has a different scope. 'Nod' is the most specific — it refers only to moving the head up and down, typically to show agreement, greeting, or understanding. 'Bow' involves bending the whole upper body forward and is far more formal, often expressing deep respect or submission rather than simple agreement. 'Signal' is the broadest of the three; it covers any deliberate movement or sign intended to convey a message, including hand waves, horn beeps, or flashing lights, whereas a nod is just one kind of signal using head movement. 'Gesture' falls between them — it refers to any meaningful movement of the body or limbs (a thumbs-up, a wave, a shrug) but is more neutral than 'signal' and does not necessarily imply urgency or a coded message. In everyday use: 'She nodded at me from across the room' feels casual and friendly; 'She bowed to the queen' shows formality; 'She gestured for me to come closer' is a vague invitation; 'He signalled for help' implies urgency.

bow ↗signal ↗gesture ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • give a nod
  • get the nod
  • nod in agreement
  • a nod of approval
  • with a nod
  • on the nod

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'nod' comes from Middle English 'nodden', meaning to shake or move the head. Its origins may go back to Old English 'hnodian' (to shake) and the Proto-Germanic root 'hnud-', which carried the idea of a quick, short movement. The drowsiness sense (letting the head drop while falling asleep) appeared by the 1400s, while the plant-swaying sense developed in the 1500s as writers described flowers and trees bending in the wind as if nodding. The noun senses followed the verb chronologically — the figurative use for 'nomination' or 'approval' emerged in the 1900s in American English, especially in entertainment journalism.