What it means
Means absolutely wiped and fast asleep, fully gone for the night or the afternoon. You'd use it when someone's so tired they're dead to the world on the sofa, in the back seat, wherever they dropped. It can sometimes hint at being a bit drugged up or woozy, but most of the time it just means seriously exhausted and out cold.
Usage examples
"He was zonked out on the sofa, telly blaring, still holding his kebab. I shouted his name twice and he didn’t even twitch."
"The kids were zonked out in the back seat before we even left the car park, two minutes and lights out."
"I got home from the double shift, sat down for one minute, then next thing I knew I was zonked out with my shoes still on."
"She was zonked out after the festival, face down on the air mattress and not even the group chat carnage could wake her."
"By the time we got back from the wedding, Dave was zonked out in a chair with one sock on and a crisp stuck to his hoodie."
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Where it comes from
To be zonked out is to be utterly drained, flat out and dead to the world, usually slumped on the sofa or fast asleep mid-afternoon. The zonk is that heavy thud of total tiredness, often after a big day, a heavy meal or one too many late nights. Lights on, nobody home, in the most restful possible way.
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