What does "nod" mean?
An instance of inclining the head up and down, as to indicate agreement, or as a cursory greeting.
Nod
/nɒd/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An instance of inclining the head up and down, as to indicate agreement, or as a cursory greeting.
- Grammar: nod is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abide by, accede, accede to, accept.
- Useful contrasts: alertness, deny, disagree.
- Usage evidence: Mary got the nod from among some 500 applicants.
How to use "nod"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "nod" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "nod" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "nod" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "nod" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "nod" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abide by" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "nod", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An instance of inclining the head up and down, as to indicate agreement, or as a cursory greeting.
- 2 Initialism of notice Of disagreement; filed by an appellant in response to a denial of veteran's benefits in United States law. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 3 the act of nodding the head wordnet
- 4 A reference or allusion to something.
"Much like Mirror Mirror, Huntsman appears to borrow liberally from other fantasy films. Sometimes the nods are clever—Stewart’s first night in the forest, among hallucinatory fog that gives the trees faces and clutching hands, evokes Disney’s animated Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs from 1937."
- 5 Initialism of Night Optical/Observation Device. US, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 a sign of assent or salutation or command wordnet
- 7 A nomination.
"For the fifth time in her career she received a Grammy nod, she has yet to win the award."
- 8 Approval. figuratively
"The plan is expected to get the nod from councillors at the next meeting."
- 9 A state of half-consciousness; stupor.
"Withered addicts drooped into chronic heroin nods."
Verb
- 1 To incline the head up and down, as to indicate agreement. ambitransitive
"‘She has big breasts’, Chuck said. ‘Who? Patty? Oh yes.’ Hentman nodded. ‘Well, it’s that operation they give in Hollywood and New York. It’s more the rage now than the dilation, and she’s had that done, too.’"
- 2 be almost asleep wordnet
- 3 To briefly incline the head downwards as a cursory greeting. ambitransitive
- 4 let the head fall forward through drowsiness wordnet
- 5 To sway, move up and down. ambitransitive
"By every wind that nods the mountain pine."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 lower and raise the head, as to indicate assent or agreement or confirmation wordnet
- 7 To gradually fall asleep. intransitive
- 8 express or signify by nodding wordnet
- 9 To signify by a nod. transitive
"They nodded their assent."
- 10 sway gently back and forth, as in a nodding motion wordnet
- 11 To make a mistake by being temporarily inattentive or tired intransitive
"Even Homer nods."
- 12 To head; to strike the ball with one's head. intransitive, transitive
"Jones nods the ball back to his goalkeeper."
- 13 To allude to something. figuratively, intransitive
"Though the title nods to the Italian neo-realist classic Bicycle Thieves—and Cyril, much like the father and son in that movie, spends much of his time tracking down the oft-stolen possession—The Kid With A Bike isn’t about the bike as something essential to his livelihood, but as his sole connection to the freedom and play of childhood itself."
- 14 To fall asleep while under the influence of opiates. intransitive, slang
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Mary got the nod from among some 500 applicants."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "nod"?
Common synonyms include: abide by, accede, accede to, accept, acceptance, acclaim.
How do you use "nod" in a sentence?
Mary got the nod from among some 500 applicants.
How do you pronounce "nod"?
Pronounced /nɒd/.
Etymology
From Middle English nodden, probably from an unrecorded Old English *hnodian (“to nod, shake the head”), from Proto-West Germanic *hnodōn, from Proto-Germanic *hnudōną (“to beat, rivet, pound, push”), from Proto-Indo-European *kendʰ-, from *ken- (“to scratch, scrape, rub”). Compare Old High German hnotōn (“to shake”), hnutten (“to shake, rattle, vibrate”) (> modern dialectal German notteln, nütteln (“to rock, move back and forth”)), Faroese njóða (“to clench a nail”), Icelandic hnjóða (“to rivet, clinch”), Faroese noða (“to double by bending”), Icelandic hnoða (“to clinch, rivet”).