1
: one that sleeps
2
: a piece of timber, stone, or steel on or near the ground to support a superstructure, keep railroad rails in place, or receive floor joists : stringpiece
3
4
: someone or something unpromising or unnoticed that suddenly attains prominence or value
the low-budget film became the summer's sleeper
5
: children's pajamas usually with feet
—usually used in plural
6
chiefly British
: a small earring or stud worn to keep the hole of a pierced ear from closing
Examples of sleeper in a Sentence
Sleepers were awakened by the sound of a loud crash.
He may turn out to be the sleeper in this year's election.
The movie was the summer's sleeper.
The movie became the sleeper hit of the summer.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Lucy & Jack name drop & wedding ring thing here triggered some kind of sleeper agent in me.
—
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
The study has also revealed trends: Fewer Pacific sleeper sharks have been found off Alaska and Taiwan, while more have been seen in Russian waters, officials said.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
That means back sleepers will find enough support to maintain comfortable spinal alignment, and side sleepers will find exceptional pressure relief on the usual pinch points like hips and shoulders.
—Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2024
The team prepares to launch their website, which will sell an innovative sleeping device that soothes sleepers with the calming sound of Rainn's voice.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Step Three Add a quilt and a duvet, so hot sleepers and cold sleepers have options to create the right level of warmth.
—Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
Size For kids or solo adult sleepers, a twin-sized bed will usually suffice.
—Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2024
This unique design feature is a key reason the mattress is so effective at cooling and provides warm sleepers like me with 12+ hours of comfortable, relaxed sleep.
—Dan Koday, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Apr. 2024
Our third sleeper won a mere 15 games and finished far closer to the bottom of the Big Ten than the top.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
The study has also revealed trends: Fewer Pacific sleeper sharks have been found off Alaska and Taiwan, while more have been seen in Russian waters, officials said.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
That means back sleepers will find enough support to maintain comfortable spinal alignment, and side sleepers will find exceptional pressure relief on the usual pinch points like hips and shoulders.
—Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2024
The team prepares to launch their website, which will sell an innovative sleeping device that soothes sleepers with the calming sound of Rainn's voice.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Step Three Add a quilt and a duvet, so hot sleepers and cold sleepers have options to create the right level of warmth.
—Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
Size For kids or solo adult sleepers, a twin-sized bed will usually suffice.
—Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2024
This unique design feature is a key reason the mattress is so effective at cooling and provides warm sleepers like me with 12+ hours of comfortable, relaxed sleep.
—Dan Koday, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Apr. 2024
Our third sleeper won a mere 15 games and finished far closer to the bottom of the Big Ten than the top.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sleeper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sleeper
Cite this Entry
“Sleeper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleeper. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sleeper
noun
sleep·er
ˈslē-pər 
1
: one that sleeps
2
: a horizontal beam to support something on or near ground level
3
4
: someone or something considered unlikely to succeed that suddenly becomes successful
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