autopilot

plural autopilots

1. countableuncountableaeronauticsA mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being.

   I set the autopilot to due south, so I could get some rest.

2. broadlycountablefigurativelyuncountableA state of mind where one no longer thinks about doing one's actions, but acts mechanically.

   I've been doing this 12 hours non-stop, and am so hungry and tired that I've stopped thinking: I'm now on autopilot.

   2 more examples

   Seasoned runners speak wistfully of getting in the zone, of running as meditation or going into autopilot, powering through the miles.

   2013 October 7, Tory Frost, “Going the distance: breaking through the boredom barrier”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 29 Mar 2016

   But while the wackiness gets exasperating fast (a running joke about Hazel’s father, played by Ray Romano on autopilot, having a sex doll for a wife is even unfunnier than it sounds), Milioti works overtime to keep us invested.

   2021 March 31, Benjamin Lee, “Made for Love review – Black Mirror-esque comedy needs an upgrade”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 10 Jul 2021

present singular third person autopilots · participle present autopiloting · participle past autopiloted · past autopiloted

1. intransitiveTo pilot itself; to drive or travel automatically.