sleepless

play

adjective sleep·less \ ˈslēp-ləs \

Definition of sleepless

1 :not able to sleep

lay sleepless with fever

2 :affording no sleep

sleepless nights

3 :unceasingly active or operative

sleepless casinos

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sleeplessly

adverb

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sleeplessness

noun

See sleepless defined for English-language learners

See sleepless defined for kids

Examples of sleepless in a Sentence

He lay sleepless in bed.

Recent Examples of sleepless from the Web

The previous harvest season had shown an alarming decrease in lactating does, causing the deer biologist many sleepless nights.

— todd masson, NOLA.com, "Promising signs for Louisiana's 2017 deer season," 30 Aug. 2017
A stressful thought alone can sabotage your sleep, so whatever reduces your stress could also reduce your sleepless nights.

— suzannah weiss, Glamour, "I Tried Sleeping Under a Weighted Blanket to Cure My Insomnia," 14 Aug. 2017
After a sleepless night with his German Shepherd, Bernstein returned to the drawbridge the next day and eventually found Brickell.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "The doggy lived after falling off a bridge. But she couldn’t survive this.," 14 Aug. 2017
But one sleepless night about five years ago, UCLA geographer Gregory Orkin realized something: Those environmental assessments rarely if ever took into account the consumption by dogs and cats.

— amina khan, latimes.com, "Scientists tally the environmental impact of feeding meat to our cats and dogs. It’s huge," 4 Aug. 2017
There are also toddler tantrums and sleepless nights with a crying baby.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "Florida's opioid crisis: Couple found dead on I-4 leaves devastated family to raise 3 boys," 26 July 2017
There had been sleepless nights, stressful decision-making, dispiriting chemotherapy, tests, crowdfunding campaigns and lots of uncertainty.

— allie gross, Detroit Free Press, "Beaumont plastic surgeon takes cases others said couldn't be done," 15 July 2017
Here’s how to fall in love with Buenos Aires in one sleepless, raucous night.

— michaela trimble, GQ, "Buenos Aires: Where to Eat, Sleep, Drink, and Party," 12 July 2017
The couple's sleepless nights are now accompanied by new fears about their son's future.

— allie gross, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan families say we still need Obamacare," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sleepless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of sleepless

15th century

sleepless Synonyms

Synonyms

awake, insomniac, wakeful, wide-awake

Antonyms

asleep, dormant, dozing, napping, resting, sleeping, slumbering, unawakened

Related Words

aroused, awakened, roused, rousted, wakened; about, astir, up; aware, conscious; revived; reawakened

Near Antonyms

dozy, drowsy, nodding, sleepy, slumberous (or slumbrous), somnolent; dreaming; hypnotized, mesmerized

SLEEPLESS Defined for English Language Learners

sleepless

play

adjective

Definition of sleepless for English Language Learners

: without sleep
: not able to sleep

Medical Dictionary

sleepless

play

adjective sleep·less \ ˈslē-pləs \

medical Definition of sleepless

:not able to sleep :insomniac

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sleeplessness

noun

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Examples of sleepless in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sleepless from the Web

First Known Use of sleepless

sleepless Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

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SLEEPLESS Defined for English Language Learners

sleepless

Definition of sleepless for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

sleepless

medical Definition of sleepless

sleeplessness

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