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
For the nursery Create a soothing and safe environment for your little one with essential gear like comfortable gliders, portable playpens and bedside sleepers.
—
Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2025
But Tampa Bay is a serious sleeper in the NFC.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
The bed's length remains the same as the pop-up variant, but 79 inches (200 cm) should be more than enough for most sleepers – that's 4 in (10 cm) longer than a full-size bed at home and just an inch short of a queen.
—New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025
With a medium firmness level (about five to seven on a scale of zero to 10), it’s suited for side sleepers, but that doesn’t mean that combination and back sleepers won’t like it.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleeper
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Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2025
But Tampa Bay is a serious sleeper in the NFC.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
The bed's length remains the same as the pop-up variant, but 79 inches (200 cm) should be more than enough for most sleepers – that's 4 in (10 cm) longer than a full-size bed at home and just an inch short of a queen.
—New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025
With a medium firmness level (about five to seven on a scale of zero to 10), it’s suited for side sleepers, but that doesn’t mean that combination and back sleepers won’t like it.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleeper
Cite this Entry
“Sleeper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleeper. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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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