food coma
noun
plural food comas
informal
: a state of sleepiness or sluggishness that is experienced after eating a large meal
Overeating is probably the main culprit for most people's Thanksgiving Day food coma.—
Matthew Cenzon
Matthew CenzonAfter my decadent dinner, I'm thrilled to be within crawling distance of my room. I enter the white sanctuary … and immediately lie down to wait for my food coma to abate.—Robin Cherry
Robin CherryExamples of food coma in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ready to become the most proactive person in your friend group or family by starting the Black Friday festivities early (no food coma in sight… yet)?
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
Gone are the days of lining up outside mega retailers right after your turkey dinner to rush in store and snag early-bird holiday gifts—now that the Black Friday sales are accessible at your fingertips, no need to leave the couch (or rise from a food coma).
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025
Since overloading on carbs can make a food coma more likely, packing your plate with protein and healthy fats alongside can help.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 6 Aug. 2025
The result is a series of entrees that satisfy without sending you into a food coma.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2025
Watch Your Favorites on Peacock This Holiday Season One of the best things to do in that post holiday food coma is to put on a nostalgic movie that is good for the whole family, like the Harry Potter series.
—Molly Higgins, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2024
Embrace the food coma: Add these deals to your cart from your couch.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
The time has arrived for desert-dwellers staying in Phoenix for Thanksgiving to brag about their food comas by the pool as friends and family from the north head to dinner in the cold.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 26 Nov. 2024
At that moment, Americans were just waking up from a food coma induced by a decade of consuming astounding quantities of mediocre family-casual chow and realizing that cooking could be a vital part of culture.
—Alex French, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2024
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Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
Gone are the days of lining up outside mega retailers right after your turkey dinner to rush in store and snag early-bird holiday gifts—now that the Black Friday sales are accessible at your fingertips, no need to leave the couch (or rise from a food coma).
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025
Since overloading on carbs can make a food coma more likely, packing your plate with protein and healthy fats alongside can help.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 6 Aug. 2025
The result is a series of entrees that satisfy without sending you into a food coma.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2025
Watch Your Favorites on Peacock This Holiday Season One of the best things to do in that post holiday food coma is to put on a nostalgic movie that is good for the whole family, like the Harry Potter series.
—Molly Higgins, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2024
Embrace the food coma: Add these deals to your cart from your couch.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
The time has arrived for desert-dwellers staying in Phoenix for Thanksgiving to brag about their food comas by the pool as friends and family from the north head to dinner in the cold.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 26 Nov. 2024
At that moment, Americans were just waking up from a food coma induced by a decade of consuming astounding quantities of mediocre family-casual chow and realizing that cooking could be a vital part of culture.
—Alex French, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Food coma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/food%20coma. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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