dozed; dozing
1
a
: to sleep lightly
b
: to fall into a light sleep
—usually used with off
2
: to be in a dull or stupefied condition
: to pass (time) drowsily
doze
noun
Examples of doze in a Sentence
Verb (1)
likes to doze through those lazy summer afternoons
she dozed fitfully in the car but never fell completely asleep
Recent Examples on the Web
Sherri Gordon, Parents, 10 Feb. 2026
Shot in gorgeous widescreen (an unusual format for documentaries), the movie catalogs all the way people behave around what appears to be a single bear, first seen dozing with her two cubs.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
Afternoons here are deliciously drowsy, spent dozing in the shade, gently parting calm sea water, or gliding past craggy rock formations in a little motor-boat.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
Animals that navigate extreme conditions and environments have evolved to sleep in extreme ways — for example, stealing seconds at a time during around-the-clock parenting, getting winks on the wing during long migrations and even dozing while swimming.
—Nicky Forster, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for doze
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
In fact, on many nights I could be found dozing in the chair with her tiny body curled onto my chest.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 10 Feb. 2026
Shot in gorgeous widescreen (an unusual format for documentaries), the movie catalogs all the way people behave around what appears to be a single bear, first seen dozing with her two cubs.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
Afternoons here are deliciously drowsy, spent dozing in the shade, gently parting calm sea water, or gliding past craggy rock formations in a little motor-boat.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
Animals that navigate extreme conditions and environments have evolved to sleep in extreme ways — for example, stealing seconds at a time during around-the-clock parenting, getting winks on the wing during long migrations and even dozing while swimming.
—Nicky Forster, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for doze
Cite this Entry
“Doze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doze. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
