sleepless

adjective

sleep·​less ˈslēp-ləs How to pronounce sleepless (audio)
1
: not able to sleep
lay sleepless with fever
2
: affording no sleep
sleepless nights
3
: unceasingly active or operative
sleepless casinos
sleeplessly adverb
sleeplessness noun

Examples of sleepless in a Sentence

He lay sleepless in bed.
Recent Examples on the Web And one lively female was virtually sleepless, averaging just four minutes of sleep each day. Amber Jorgenson, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2019 Practical and Cute Enter the perfect solution to her sleepless nights. Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 25 Jan. 2023 Stephen King penned the screenplay for this seminal horror anthology, featuring five freakish stories to give you sleepless nights. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 19 Jan. 2023 So Good got me through hours of travel, moments with friends, and sleepless nights. Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2022 Coaches who’ve had to face either unit understand the sleepless nights both can cause. Dallas News, 17 Nov. 2022 Maybe this memory inspired one of those sleepless nights in Taylor Swift’s life. Vulture, 28 Oct. 2022 These little things have caused me no end of sleepless nights, emotional anguish, and personal turmoil. Jaina Grey, WIRED, 2 Dec. 2022 The album, which sees the singer reminisce on 13 sleepless nights throughout her life, marks both a return to pop and a return to more personal subject matter for Swift. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 25 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sleepless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleepless was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near sleepless

Cite this Entry

“Sleepless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleepless. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sleepless

adjective
sleep·​less ˈslē-pləs How to pronounce sleepless (audio)
1
: not able to sleep
2
: marked by the absence of sleep
a sleepless night
3
: unceasingly alert or active
sleeplessly adverb
sleeplessness noun

Medical Definition

sleepless

adjective
sleep·​less ˈslē-pləs How to pronounce sleepless (audio)
: not able to sleep : insomniac
sleeplessness noun

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