napped; napping
: a hairy, fuzzy, or downy surface (as on a fabric)
British
: a pick or recommendation as a good bet to win a contest (such as a horse race)
also
: one named in a nap
Examples of nap in a Sentence
Verb (1)
decided to let the kids nap for a few more minutes before waking them
I'm just going to nap the entire afternoon
Noun (1)
so tired that she needed to take a refreshing nap before soccer practice
Noun (2)
high-quality suede has a good, even nap
Recent Examples on the Web
Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
The apes also spent a mean total of 76 minutes napping each day, over 1-2 different nests and multiple bouts of rest.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 25 June 2025
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 June 2025
Many of them could relate to our results with a personal experience of having a (creative) breakthrough after a nap.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nap
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
The study did not compare those who rested or napped with those who didn't take a break.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
The apes also spent a mean total of 76 minutes napping each day, over 1-2 different nests and multiple bouts of rest.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 25 June 2025
Noun
Parks aren’t profitable, museums are empty, and the fine citizens of DUMBO just honk their horns at each other when a massive herbivore escapes from the zoo for a nap under the Brooklyn Bridge.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 June 2025
Many of them could relate to our results with a personal experience of having a (creative) breakthrough after a nap.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nap
Cite this Entry
“Nap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nap. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nap
1 of 4 verb
napped; napping
1
: to sleep briefly especially during the day
2
: to be off guard
was caught napping
nap
2 of 4 noun
: a short sleep especially during the day
nap
3 of 4 noun
: a hairy or downy surface on a woven fabric or leather
nappy
adjective
ˈnap-ē
nap
4 of 4 verb
napped; napping
: to raise a nap on fabric or leather
Etymology
Verb
Old English hnappian "to doze"
Noun
Middle English noppe "soft surface on a fabric," from early Dutch noppe "tuft of wool, nap"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share