hibernate
verb
hi·ber·nate
ˈhī-bər-ˌnāt 
hibernated; hibernating
1
: to pass the winter in a torpid or resting state
bears hibernating in their dens
2
: to be or become inactive or dormant
let the computer hibernate
Examples of hibernate in a Sentence
bears hibernating in their dens
Recent Examples on the Web
Six-year-old Lucas Kincaid of Molalla, Oregon stood with his family to take a final peek in the hulking main telescope beneath the dome in anxious anticipation, snug in his furry hooded jacket like a hibernating bear cub about to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
—
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Turn your home into a luxurious winter hideaway worth hibernating in with this warm, cozy home trend.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
There's no need to hibernate inside when winter's chill arrives.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Midwest Living, 4 Jan. 2026
Although the animals are usually hibernating by now, a shortage in their primary food source—beechnut, chestnut, and oak acorns—may be preventing them from entering their deep slumber as usual.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hibernate
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Jeff Spry, Space.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Turn your home into a luxurious winter hideaway worth hibernating in with this warm, cozy home trend.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
There's no need to hibernate inside when winter's chill arrives.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Midwest Living, 4 Jan. 2026
Although the animals are usually hibernating by now, a shortage in their primary food source—beechnut, chestnut, and oak acorns—may be preventing them from entering their deep slumber as usual.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hibernate
Cite this Entry
“Hibernate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hibernate. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hibernate
verb
hi·ber·nate
ˈhī-bər-ˌnāt
hibernated; hibernating
: to pass the winter in a sleeping or resting state
Medical Definition
hibernate
intransitive verb
hi·ber·nate
ˈhī-bər-ˌnāt
hibernated; hibernating
: to pass the winter in a torpid or resting state
especially
: to pass the winter in a torpid condition in which the body temperature drops to a little above freezing and metabolic activity is reduced nearly to zero compare estivate
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