spaced

space

slang To be or become confused, disoriented, or stupefied, from or as from drug use. OK, Janet, I know you just took a lot of pills, but you need to stop spacing for a minute and tell me where Stephen went! Right in the middle of my speech, I just sort of spaced and forgot everything I was supposed to say.

space off

1. To be or become distracted, preoccupied, or unfocused from the present moment or the task at hand. A variant of "space out." Thomas, quit spacing off back there and pay attention! I love looking out the window on the train and just spacing off for a few minutes.

2. To be or become confused, disoriented, or stupefied, from or as from drug use. OK, Janet, I know you just took a lot of pills, but you need to stop spacing off for a minute and tell me where Stephen went! In the middle of his speech, he just spaced off and started muttering unintelligibly.

See also: off, space

space out

1. To be or become distracted, preoccupied, or unfocused from the present moment or the task at hand. Thomas, quit spacing out back there and pay attention! I love looking out the window on the train and just spacing out for a few minutes.

2. To be or become confused, disoriented, or stupefied, from or as from drug use. OK, Janet, I know you just took a lot of pills, but you need to stop spacing out for a minute and tell me where Stephen went! In the middle of his speech, he just spaced out and trailed off into an unintelligible murmur.

3. To cause someone to be or become confused, disoriented, or stupefied, from or as from drug use. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is usually used between "space" and "out." Getting knocked in the head like that spaced Tom out pretty bad. I don't like the way these pills space me out—I'd rather just deal with the pain myself.

See also: out, space

spaced (out)

1. Unable to focus one's attention on something; distracted, preoccupied, or otherwise unable to take a proper, productive interest in something. A: "I've been feeling a little spaced at work lately." B: "Something on your mind? Is everything OK at home?" My parents are so spaced out, they'll never even notice that I was gone for the night.

2. Confused, disoriented, or stupefied, from or as from drug use. Getting knocked in the head like that left me pretty spaced out. You seem really spaced. Have you been smoking reefer again?

See also: spaced

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

space out

to become giddy or disoriented. Judy spaced out during the meeting and I didn't understand a word she said. I have a tendency to space out at the end of a hard day.

See also: out, space

space someone out

to cause someone to become giddy. The circus clowns just spaced me out. The hilarious spectacle spaced out the entire audience.

See also: out, space

spaced (out)

silly; giddy. I have such spaced-out parents! He's so spaced!

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

space out

Stupefy or disorient, as if or from a drug. For example, This medication spaces me out so I can't think clearly, or I wonder what those kids are on-they look totally spaced out. [1960s] Also see zone out.

See also: out, space

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

space out

v.

1. To organize or arrange some things or some people with spaces between: The tournament organizers spaced the matches out so that players would have time to rest. The police officers spaced themselves out along the parade route.

2. To stupefy or disorient someone from or as if from a drug: The medicine spaces me out so I can't think clearly. The summer heat tends to space out the students and makes it difficult to teach.

3. To lose awareness of one's surroundings: I stared out the window and spaced out for an hour.

4. To lose concentration or become inattentive: I was supposed to meet her at 9:00, but I spaced out and didn't get there till 10:30.

See also: out, space

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

space out

1. n. a giddy person. (Usually space-out.) Terry is becoming such a space-out!

2. and space in. to become giddy; to become disoriented. She is spacing again. She doesn’t even know where she is.

See also: out, space

space

verb

See space out

spaced (out)

and spacy

mod. silly; giddy. I have such spaced out parents!

See also: out, spaced

spaced

verb

See spaced out

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.