oversleep

verb

over·​sleep ˌō-vər-ˈslēp How to pronounce oversleep (audio)
overslept ˌō-vər-ˈslept How to pronounce oversleep (audio) ; oversleeping

intransitive verb

: to sleep beyond the time for waking

transitive verb

: to allow (oneself) to oversleep

Examples of oversleep in a Sentence

Be sure to set your alarm clock so that you don't oversleep.
Recent Examples on the Web While the teenager had overslept, their school had gone into lockdown. Nouran Salahieh, Michelle Krupa and Nicole Chavez, CNN, 5 Sep. 2024 Research has also shown that SAD can severely affect sleep, including a tendency to oversleep or sleep fewer hours a night, and this could affect one’s quality of life. Sophie Okolo, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 Ellen matured into one of the institute’s most awful therapists, at one point urging a teen-ager who had overslept her alarm to kill herself. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 14 June 2023 One team member had overslept and would play from home. Hisako Ueno, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2023 Quick had a bad habit of oversleeping and being late for minor league bus trips. Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2023 Never oversleep your flight! The Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2020 Don't oversleep — the restaurants close at 2 p.m. Ultreia Address: 1701 Wynkoop St. #125, Denver, CO 80202 Phone: (303) 534-1970 Website This Spanish restaurant comes from a team with a track record of opening award-winning restaurants in Denver. Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2023 The schedule was so grueling that Fati often had headaches and could hardly keep her eyes open, and began to oversleep and miss days at her office job. Juliet MacUr, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oversleep.' 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

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of oversleep was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near oversleep

Cite this Entry

“Oversleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oversleep. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

oversleep

verb
over·​sleep ˌō-vər-ˈslēp How to pronounce oversleep (audio)
overslept -ˈslept How to pronounce oversleep (audio) ; oversleeping
: to sleep beyond the usual time or beyond the time set for getting up
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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