Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense sleeps, present participle sleeping, past tense, past participle slept
1. uncountable noun
Sleep is the natural state of rest in which your eyes are closed, your body is inactive, and your mind does not think.
They were exhausted from lack of sleep.
Try and get some sleep.
Be quiet and go to sleep.
Often he would have bad dreams and cry out in his sleep.
Synonyms: slumber(s), rest, nap, doze More Synonyms of sleep
2. verb
When you sleep, you rest with your eyes closed and your mind and body inactive.
During the car journey, the baby slept. [VERB]
I've not been able to sleep for the last few nights. [VERB]
...a pool surrounded by sleeping sunbathers. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: slumber, drop off [informal], doze, kip [British, slang] More Synonyms of sleep
3. countable noun [usually singular]
A sleep is a period of sleeping.
I think he may be ready for a sleep soon.
4. verb [no cont, no passive]
If a building or room sleeps a particular number of people, it has beds for that number of people.
The villa sleeps 10 and costs £530 per person for two weeks. [VERB amount]
5. See also sleeping
6.
See get to sleep
7.
See lose sleep
8.
See sleep on it
9.
See put sth to sleep
10. to sleep rough
Phrasal verbs:
See sleep around
See sleep off
See sleep over
See sleep through
See sleep together
See sleep with
More Synonyms of sleep
sleep in British English
(sliːp)
noun
1.
a periodic state of physiological rest during which consciousness is suspended and metabolic rate is decreased
See also paradoxical sleep
2. botany the nontechnical name for nyctitropism
3.
a period spent sleeping
4.
a state of quiescence or dormancy
5. a poetic or euphemistic word for death
6. informal
the dried mucoid particles often found in the corners of the eyes after sleeping
verbWord forms: sleeps, sleeping or slept
7. (intransitive)
to be in or as in the state of sleep
8. (intransitive)
(of plants) to show nyctitropism
9. (intransitive)
to be inactive or quiescent
10. (transitive)
to have sleeping accommodation for (a certain number)
the boat could sleep six
11. (transitive; foll byaway)
to pass (time) sleeping
12. (intransitive)
to fail to pay attention
13. (intransitive) poetic or euphemistic
to be dead
14. sleep on it
Word origin
Old English slǣpan; related to Old Frisian slēpa, Old Saxon slāpan, Old High German slāfan, German schlaff limp
sleep in American English
(slip)
noun
1.
a.
a natural, regularly recurring condition of rest for the body and mind, during which the eyes are usually closedand there is little or no conscious thought or voluntary movement, but there is intermittent dreaming
b.
a spell of sleeping
2.
any state of inactivity thought of as like sleep, as death, unconsciousness, hibernation, etc.
3. Botany
nyctitropism
verb intransitiveWord forms: slept or ˈsleeping
4.
to be in the state of sleep; slumber
5.
to be in a state of inactivity like sleep, as that of death, quiescence, hibernation,inattention, etc.
6. Informal
to have sexual intercourse (with)
7. Informal
to postpone a decision (on) to allow time for deliberation
let me sleep on it
8. Botany
to assume a nyctitropic position at night, as petals or leaves
verb transitive
9.
to slumber in (a specified kind of sleep)
to sleep the sleep of the just
10.
to provide sleeping accommodations for
a boat that sleeps four
Idioms:
last sleep
sleep around
sleep away
sleep in
sleep it off
sleep off
sleep out
sleep over
Word origin
ME slep < OE slæp, akin to Ger schlaf, sleep, schlaff, loose, lax < IE *slab < base *(s)leb-, *(s)lab-, loose, slack > lip, limp1, L labor, to slip, sink
More idioms containing
sleep
not lose any sleep over something
sleep on it
not sleep a wink
COBUILD Collocations
sleep
enough sleep
quality sleep
Examples of 'sleep' in a sentence
sleep
People sleeping outdoor are scrambling for any hopeful cover.
Christianity Today (2000)
What she finds hardest about single motherhood seems to be the lack of sleep.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
At first there may be a heavy feeling after midday sleep periods.
Chaitow, Leon The Beat Fatigue Workbook - how to identify the causes (1988)
This killing with kindness puts us to sleep!
The Sun (2012)
The nuclear reactor that powers the boat is in sleep mode.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We spent the night aboard the boat in sleeping bags on the deck.
The Sun (2015)
Maybe it was lack of sleep or not enough food.
The Sun (2012)
You get more sleep and you get your life back quicker.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Your normal sleeping pattern may not return for weeks or months.
Trickett, Shirley Coming Off Tranquillizers and Sleeping Pills (1991)
You live together in a big accommodation block and sleep in the same dorm.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
There are some perilously funny exchanges about sleeping with other people.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
When was the last time you slept in a tent?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We had nowhere to go so we slept in the car together.
The Sun (2014)
It makes you feel good and you sleep well.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Bad sleep is seen as similarly immutable.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
You are going to lose sleep over it.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It has helped some people to sleep.
Trickett, Shirley Coming Off Tranquillizers and Sleeping Pills (1991)
In the upper beds the person sleeping next to the wall cannot raise his head or change his shirt.
Kishlansky, Mark A. (editor) Sources of the West: Readings in Western Civilization, Volume 1: From the Beginningto 1715 (1995)
The ideal temperature for good sleep is slightly cool so keep windows open or have a fan in the room.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The amount of sleep our bodies and minds need may be different to the amount of sleep we think we ought to have.
Knowles, Jane Know Your Own Mind (1991)
Quotations
Oh Sleep! it is a gentle thing, Beloved from pole to pole, To Mary Queen the praise be given! She sent the gentle sleep from Heaven, That slid into my soulSamuel Taylor ColeridgeThe Ancient Mariner
Come, sleep, O sleep, the certain knot of peace, The baiting place of wit, the balm of woePhilip SidneyAstrophil and Stella
to sleep: perchance to dreamWilliam ShakespeareHamlet
sleep the twin of deathHomerIliad
The sleep of a labouring man is sweetBible: Ecclesiastes
Care-charmer Sleep, son of the sable Night, Brother to Death, in silent darkness bornSamuel DanielDelia
Care-charming Sleep, thou easer of all woes, Brother to DeathJohn FletcherWit Without Money
I sleep like a baby. I wake up every 10 minutes screamingBoris Jordan
One hour's sleep before midnight is worth two after
In other languages
sleep
British English: sleep /sliːp/ NOUN
Sleep is the natural state of rest in which your eyes are closed, your body is inactive, and your mind does not think.
Try and get some sleep.
American English: sleep
Arabic: نَوْم
Brazilian Portuguese: sono
Chinese: 睡眠
Croatian: san
Czech: spánek
Danish: søvn
Dutch: slaap
European Spanish: sueño dormir
Finnish: uni
French: sommeil
German: Schlaf
Greek: ύπνος
Italian: sonno
Japanese: 眠り
Korean: 잠
Norwegian: søvn
Polish: sen spanie
European Portuguese: sono
Romanian: somn
Russian: сон
Latin American Spanish: sueño acto de dormir
Swedish: sömn
Thai: การนอนหลับ
Turkish: uyku
Ukrainian: сон
Vietnamese: trạng thái ngủ
British English: sleep /sliːp/ VERB
When you sleep, you rest with your eyes closed and your mind and body inactive.
During the car journey, the baby slept.
American English: sleep
Arabic: يَنَامُ
Brazilian Portuguese: dormir
Chinese: 睡觉
Croatian: spavati
Czech: spát
Danish: sove
Dutch: slapen
European Spanish: dormir
Finnish: nukkua
French: dormir
German: schlafen
Greek: κοιμάμαι
Italian: dormire
Japanese: 眠る
Korean: 자다
Norwegian: sove
Polish: spać
European Portuguese: dormir
Romanian: a dormi
Russian: спать
Latin American Spanish: dormir
Swedish: sova
Thai: นอน
Turkish: uyumak
Ukrainian: спати
Vietnamese: ngủ
All related terms of 'sleep'
sleep in
to sleep longer than usual
sleep off
If you sleep off the effects of too much travelling , drink, or food, you recover from it by sleeping.
sleep out
(esp of a tramp ) to sleep in the open air
last sleep
death
lose sleep
If you say that you didn't lose any sleep over something, you mean that you did not worry about it at all.
sleep apnea
a chronic disorder in which breathing is briefly suspended repeatedly during sleep
sleep away
to spend in sleeping ; sleep during
sleep cycle
A cycle is a series of events or processes that is repeated again and again, always in the same order.
sleep over
If someone, especially a child , sleeps over in a place such as a friend's home , they stay there for one night .
sleep rough
to spend the night in the open ; be without a home or without shelter
sleep tight
You can say ' sleep tight ' to someone when they are going to bed as an affectionate way of saying that you hope they will sleep well.
sleep with
If you sleep with someone, you have sex with them.
beauty sleep
sleep , esp sleep before midnight
enough sleep
Sleep is the natural state of rest in which your eyes are closed, your body is inactive , and your mind does not think .
quality sleep
Sleep is the natural state of rest in which your eyes are closed, your body is inactive , and your mind does not think .
sleep apnoea
the temporary cessation of breathing during sleep , which in some cases is due to obstruction of the upper airway by enlarged tonsils , uvula , etc, causing the sufferer to snore loudly and fight for breath
sleep around
If you say that someone sleeps around , you disapprove of them because they have sex with a lot of different people.
sleep clinic
A clinic is a building where people go to receive medical advice or treatment.
sleep hygiene
the habits conducive to getting the right amount and quality of sleep
sleep pattern
A pattern is the repeated or regular way in which something happens or is done.
sleep through
If you sleep through something, it does not wake you up.
winter sleep
(of some mammals, reptiles , and amphibians ) to pass the winter in a dormant condition with metabolism greatly slowed down
get to sleep
If you cannot get to sleep , you are unable to sleep.
sleep it off
to rid oneself of the effects of some excess , overindulgence, etc., specif. of the aftereffects of drinking much alcoholic liquor , by sleeping
sleep-learning
the idea that people can learn things while they are asleep
sleep movement
the folding together of leaflets , petals , etc, that occurs at night in certain plants, such as the prayer plant ( Maranta leuconura )
sleep on it
If you are trying to make a decision and you say that you will sleep on it , you mean that you will delay making a decision on it until the following day , so you have time to think about it.
sleep together
If two people are sleeping together , they are having a sexual relationship , but are not usually married to each other.
twilight sleep
a state of partial anaesthesia in which the patient retains a slight degree of consciousness
paradoxical sleep
sleep that appears to be deep but that is characterized by a brain-wave pattern similar to that of wakefulness, rapid eye movements, and heavier breathing
sleep deprivation
a condition in which you have not had enough sleep
to sleep rough
When people sleep or live rough , they sleep out of doors , usually because they have no home .
not sleep a wink
to not be able to go to sleep
put sth to sleep
If a sick or injured animal is put to sleep , it is killed by a vet in a way that does not cause it pain .
sleep like a top
to sleep very soundly
sleepover
A sleepover is an occasion when someone, especially a child, sleeps for one night in a place such as a friend's home.
rapid eye movement sleep
the type of sleep during which rapid eye movement occurs
lull
A lull is a period of quiet or calm in a longer period of activity or excitement .
not lose any sleep over something
to not worry about something at all
night terror
a sudden feeling of extreme fear that awakens a sleeping person, usually during slow-wave sleep, and is not associated with a dream or nightmare
not sleep a wink/not get a wink of sleep
If you say that you did not sleep a wink or did not get a wink of sleep , you mean that you tried to go to sleep but could not.
Chinese translation of 'sleep'
sleep
(sliːp)
Word forms:ptppslept
n
(u)睡眠 (shuìmián)
(c) (= nap) 睡觉(覺) (shuìjiào)
vi
(= be asleep) 睡 (shuì)
(= fall asleep) 入睡 (rùshuì)
(= spend the night) 过(過)夜 (guòyè)
vt
the house sleeps 4这(這)个(個)房子可供4个(個)人睡 (zhège fángzi kě gōng sì gè rén shuì)
to go to sleep去睡觉(覺) (qù shuìjiào)
to have a good night's sleep睡个(個)好觉(覺) (shuì gè hǎo jiào)
to put a cat/dog etc to sleep把猫(貓)/狗等人道地杀(殺)死 (bǎ māo/gǒu děng réndào de shāsǐ)
I didn't lose any sleep over it (fig) 我并(並)没(沒)有为(為)这(這)事忧(憂)虑(慮)过(過) (wǒ bìng méiyǒu wèi zhè shì yōulǜguo)
把猫(貓)/狗 等 人道地杀(殺)死 bǎ māo/gǒu děng réndào de shāsǐ
nod off
nod off to sleep 打瞌睡 dǎ kēshuì
to drift off (to sleep)
慢慢睡着(著) mànmàn shuìzháo
(noun)
Definition
a state of rest during which the eyes are closed, the muscles and nerves are relaxed, and the mind is unconscious
Try and get some sleep.
Synonyms
slumber(s)
rest
Go home and have a rest.
nap
I think I'll take a little nap for an hour or so.
doze
After lunch I had a doze.
kip (British, slang)
snooze (informal)
The bird is enjoying a snooze.
repose
So you'll be ready for a night's repose?
hibernation
siesta
Many cultures have a siesta during the hottest part of the day.
dormancy
beauty sleep (informal)
forty winks (informal)
shuteye (slang)
zizz (British, informal)
1 (verb)
Definition
to be in or as in the state of sleep
I've not been able to sleep for the last few nights.
Synonyms
slumber
The older three girls are still slumbering peacefully.
drop off (informal)
I was just dropping off.
doze
For a while she dozed fitfully.
kip (British, slang)
snooze (informal)
He snoozed in front of the television.
snore
hibernate
Dormice hibernate from October to May.
nod off (informal)
The judge appeared to nod off while the witness was being cross-examined.
take a nap
catnap
drowse
She drowsed for a while.
go out like a light
take forty winks (informal)
zizz (British, informal)
be in the land of Nod
rest in the arms of Morpheus
2 (verb)
Definition
to have sleeping accommodation for (a certain number)
The villa sleeps 10.
Synonyms
accommodate
Students are accommodated in homes nearby.
take
The place could just about take 2000 people.
house
The building will house twelve boys and eight girls.
hold
The small bottles don't seem to hold much.
lodge
They questioned me, then lodged me in a children's home.
cater for
have space for
have beds for
idioms
See get to sleep
See lose any or much sleep about or over something
See put something to sleep
Phrasal verbs
See sleep over
See sleep together
See sleep with someone
related words
related maniahypnomania
related phobiahypnophobia
Quotations
Oh Sleep! it is a gentle thing, Beloved from pole to pole, To Mary Queen the praise be given! She sent the gentle sleep from Heaven, That slid into my soul [Samuel Taylor Coleridge – The Ancient Mariner]Come, sleep, O sleep, the certain knot of peace, The baiting place of wit, the balm of woe [Philip Sidney – Astrophil and Stella]to sleep: perchance to dream [William Shakespeare – Hamlet]sleep the twin of death [Homer – Iliad]The sleep of a labouring man is sweet [Bible: Ecclesiastes]Care-charmer Sleep, son of the sable Night, Brother to Death, in silent darkness born [Samuel Daniel – Delia]Care-charming Sleep, thou easer of all woes, Brother to Death [John Fletcher – Wit Without Money]I sleep like a baby. I wake up every 10 minutes screaming [Boris Jordan]
proverb
One hour's sleep before midnight is worth two after
Additional synonyms
in the sense of catnap
Definition
to sleep or doze for a short time or intermittently
Synonyms
doze,
nap,
kip (British, slang),
snooze,
drowse,
take forty winks (informal)
in the sense of doze
Definition
a short sleep
After lunch I had a doze.
Synonyms
nap,
kip (British, slang),
snooze (informal),
siesta,
little sleep,
catnap,
forty winks (informal),
shuteye (slang),
zizz (British, informal)
in the sense of doze
Definition
to sleep lightly or for a short period
For a while she dozed fitfully.
Synonyms
nap,
sleep,
slumber,
nod,
kip (British, slang),
snooze (informal),
catnap,
drowse,
sleep lightly,
zizz (British, informal)
Synonyms of 'sleep'
sleep
Explore 'sleep' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of drop off
Definition
to fall asleep
I was just dropping off.
Synonyms
fall asleep,
nod (off),
doze (off),
go off,
snooze (informal),
drift off,
catnap,
drowse,
have forty winks (informal)
in the sense of drowse
Definition
to be sleepy, dull, or sluggish
She drowsed for a while.
Synonyms
sleep,
drop off (informal),
doze,
nap,
slumber,
kip (British, slang),
snooze (informal),
nod off,
get some shut-eye,
zizz (British, informal),
have or get forty winks,
catch some zeds (informal),
be sleepy,
be drowsy
in the sense of hibernate
Definition
(of some animals) to pass the winter in a resting state in which heartbeat, temperature, and breathing rate are very low
Dormice hibernate from October to May.
Synonyms
sleep,
lie dormant,
winter,
overwinter,
vegetate,
remain torpid,
sleep snug
in the sense of hold
Definition
to have the capacity for
The small bottles don't seem to hold much.
Synonyms
accommodate,
take,
contain,
seat,
comprise,
have a capacity for,
HD
in the sense of house
The building will house twelve boys and eight girls.
Synonyms
take,
accommodate,
sleep,
provide shelter for,
give a bed to
in the sense of lodge
Definition
to provide or be provided with rented accommodation
They questioned me, then lodged me in a children's home.
Synonyms
accommodate,
house,
shelter,
put up,
entertain,
harbour,
quarter,
billet
in the sense of nap
Definition
a short sleep
I think I'll take a little nap for an hour or so.
Synonyms
sleep,
rest,
kip (British, slang),
siesta,
catnap,
forty winks (informal),
shuteye (slang),
zizz (British, informal),
nana nap (informal)
in the sense of nod off
Definition
to fall asleep
The judge appeared to nod off while the witness was being cross-examined.
Synonyms
fall asleep,
sleep,
nap,
doze,
kip (British, slang),
drowse,
slump,
droop,
drop off,
zizz (British, informal)
in the sense of repose
Definition
sleep
So you'll be ready for a night's repose?
Synonyms
sleep,
rest,
doze,
slumber,
kip (British, slang),
dormancy,
beauty sleep (informal),
forty winks (informal)
in the sense of rest
Definition
a period of inactivity
Go home and have a rest.
Synonyms
sleep,
snooze (informal),
lie-down,
nap,
doze,
slumber,
kip (British, slang),
siesta,
forty winks (informal),
zizz (British, informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of siesta
Definition
an afternoon nap, taken in hot countries
Many cultures have a siesta during the hottest part of the day.
Synonyms
nap,
rest,
sleep,
doze,
kip (British, slang),
snooze (informal),
catnap,
forty winks (informal),
zizz (British, informal)
in the sense of snooze
Definition
a nap
The bird is enjoying a snooze.
Synonyms
doze,
nap,
kip (British, slang),
siesta,
catnap,
forty winks (informal)
in the sense of snooze
Definition
to take a brief light sleep
He snoozed in front of the television.
Synonyms
doze,
drop off (informal),
nap,
kip (British, slang),
nod off (informal),
catnap,
drowse,
take forty winks (informal)
in the sense of take
Definition
to have a capacity of or room for
The place could just about take 2000 people.
Synonyms
have room for,
hold,
contain,
accommodate,
accept
All related terms of 'sleep'
sleep over
stay the night, stay over
get to sleep
fall asleep, drop off, nod off
sleep together
have sex, have sexual intercourse, make love, fuck, screw