sleep

1 of 2

noun

1
: the natural, easily reversible periodic state of many living things that is marked by the absence of wakefulness and by the loss of consciousness of one's surroundings, is accompanied by a typical body posture (such as lying down with the eyes closed), the occurrence of dreaming, and changes in brain activity and physiological functioning, is made up of cycles of non-REM sleep and REM sleep, and is usually considered essential to the restoration and recovery of vital bodily and mental functions
2
: a state resembling sleep: such as
a
: a state of torpid inactivity
b
: death
put a pet cat to sleep
also : trance, coma
c
: the closing of leaves or petals especially at night
d
: a state marked by a diminution of feeling followed by tingling
my foot's gone to sleep
e
: the state of an animal during hibernation
3
a
: a period spent sleeping
b
: night
c
: a day's journey
4
: crusty matter present in the corner of an eye upon awakening
sleeplike adjective

sleep

2 of 2

verb

slept ˈslept How to pronounce sleep (audio) ; sleeping; sleeps

intransitive verb

1
: to rest in a state of sleep
2
: to be in a state (as of quiescence or death) resembling sleep
3
: to have sexual relations
usually used with with
was sleeping with a coworker
see also sleep together

transitive verb

1
: to be slumbering in
slept the sleep of the dead
2
: to get rid of or spend in or by sleep
sleep away the hours
sleep off a headache
3
: to provide sleeping accommodations for
the boat sleeps six

Examples of sleep in a Sentence

Noun I just need to get some sleep. How much sleep did you get last night? Her roommate talks in her sleep. The noise woke her from a deep sleep. He woke up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Verb I couldn't sleep last night. I was awake all night long. I usually try to sleep for at least eight hours every night. Did you sleep soundly last night? We were sleeping peacefully when a sudden loud noise woke us up. I can never sleep on airplanes. The tent sleeps five adults.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Around 55% say their degraded mental state is getting in the way of a good night’s sleep, according to the report. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2024 For sleep support: Hum Mighty Night Sleep Supplement Up to 80 percent of menopausal women can suffer from night sweats, leading to a lack of sleep. Chloe Castleberry, Flow Space, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
With two lip treatments and a sleeping mask for the skin, the trio promises to hydrate, boost, and brighten from the comfort of bed. Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 18 Oct. 2024 With most of these tech finds, the products usually run out pretty fast, so don't sleep on the decision - add it to your cart, pay, and wait for delivery. Gabriela Vatu, PCMAG, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sleep 

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English slepe, from Old English slǣp; akin to Old High German slāf sleep and perhaps to Latin labi to slip, slide

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleep was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sleep

Cite this Entry

“Sleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleep. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sleep

1 of 2 noun
1
: the natural periodic loss of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored
2
: a state resembling sleep: as
a
: a state of inactivity (as hibernation) like sleep
b
: death sense 4
put my pet cat to sleep
c
: a state marked by loss of feeling followed by tingling
my foot's gone to sleep
sleeplike adjective

sleep

2 of 2 verb
slept ˈslept How to pronounce sleep (audio) ; sleeping
1
: to rest or be in a state of sleep
2
: to get rid of or spend in or by sleep
slept off his headache
3
: to provide sleeping space for
the boat sleeps six
4
: to have sexual intercourse

Medical Definition

sleep

1 of 2 noun
1
: the natural, easily reversible, periodic state of many living things that is marked by the absence of wakefulness and by the loss of consciousness of one's surroundings, is accompanied by a typical body posture (as lying down with the eyes closed), the occurrence of dreaming, and changes in brain activity and physiological functioning, is made up of cycles of non-REM sleep and REM sleep, and is usually considered essential to the restoration and recovery of vital bodily and mental functions
2
: a state resembling sleep: as
a
: death sense 1
put a pet cat to sleep
b
: a state marked by a diminution of feeling followed by tingling
her foot went to sleep

sleep

2 of 2 intransitive verb
slept ˈslept How to pronounce sleep (audio) ; sleeping
: to rest in a state of sleep

More from Merriam-Webster on sleep

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