doze

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈdōz 

dozed; dozing

intransitive verb

1

a

: to sleep lightly

b

: to fall into a light sleep

—usually used with off

2

: to be in a dull or stupefied condition

transitive verb

: to pass (time) drowsily

doze noun

doze

2 of 2

verb (2)

dozed; dozing

transitive verb

: bulldoze sense 2

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• catnap
• nap
• rest
• sleep
• slumber
• snooze

Examples of doze in a Sentence

Verb (1)

likes to doze through those lazy summer afternoons

she dozed fitfully in the car but never fell completely asleep

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

By late afternoon, Fernandez is dozing in his chair, mouth agape, hands clasped in his lap. —Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024

Captain Son Heung-min, deputising for Dominic Solanke as the striker, doubled the lead 11 minutes later by dispossessing the dozing Jordan Pickford and stroking home inside the box. —Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic, 24 Aug. 2024

All-Star Game and a cute shot of Dunne dozing in the backseat of a car with their puppy Roux. —Natasha Dye, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024

As the name suggests, those kinds of power naps are reminiscent of the ways our feline friends seem to laze and doze their entire days away. —Discover Magazine, 3 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse dūsa to doze

Verb (2)

probably back-formation from dozer (bulldozer)

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1677, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Verb (2)

1945, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing doze

• doze off

Kids Definition

doze

verb

ˈdōz

dozed; dozing

: to sleep lightly

doze noun

dozer noun