dozing 1 of 3

adjective

as in sleeping
being in a state of suspended consciousness the dozing dog was running—at least in his dream

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dozing

2 of 3

noun

as in napping
a natural periodic loss of consciousness during which the body restores itself dozing is a natural response to the stifling heat of summer

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dozing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of doze
1
as in resting
to be in a state of sleep likes to doze through those lazy summer afternoons

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2
as in snoozing
to sleep lightly or briefly she dozed fitfully in the car but never fell completely asleep

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dozing
Adjective
Whitehead took a right at a sign depicting a dozing fisherman, continuing up a shady road toward the bay. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 His backdrop was a colorful tableau of posters, a neon sign, and a dozing dog. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
Also noted, snoring and unintentional daytime dozing appeared to have no effect on brain aging. — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026 Lily is the quickest to figure out the detective stories that George reads them every evening in the field, but otherwise smarts count for little in a quiet life of grazing and dozing. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026 There’s no dozing off in his sessions. — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
Nothing etches itself in your heart quite like the memory of watching a pack of energetic African wild dogs frolicking, a lioness and her cubs dozing on the Kalahari with your own kids tucked in close. — Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 June 2026 Victor Nicholas ended up dozing with his head on her shoulder. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026 A little walk to Ayu Bakehouse, especially in the early morning while most of the neighborhood is still dozing, is a great start to the day. — Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026 People sleep with earplugs for many reasons, like excessive city noise, loud neighbors, or even a snoring partner dozing next to them. — Sherri Gordon, Health, 1 Apr. 2026 In the harsh afternoon sun, it was deserted except for dogs dozing on the rocks, and lovers seeking a shred of privacy. — Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026 She gets literally tucked in, waking up cozy to the sound of rain on the slanted roof and dozing only to wake again to the bright morning sun. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026 Meanwhile, in the skies above, Air Canada passenger Rebecca Liquori was dozing in her seat by the exit row after a quick weekend trip to Montreal for a relative’s baby shower. — Elizabeth Chuck, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026 In his Friday testimony, Ye yawned, closed his eyes for long stretches, and at times seemed to catch his head falling forward as if dozing while seated on the witness stand. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dozing
  1. sleeping
  2. napping
  3. resting
  4. asleep
  5. sleep
  6. bed
  7. slumber
  8. rest
Adjective
  • An autopsy showed that the infant died from asphyxiation secondary to a co-sleeping/overlay event with an unsafe sleeping environment.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of sleeping
Noun
  • Our agenda includes promenading with the official mascots, catching up on our napping, and looking in on the Pharmalot ancestor.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 2 July 2026
  • My 5-year-old corgi, Luna, is a dedicated burrower—any blanket, pillow or soft corner in the house quickly becomes her personal napping spot.
    — Jessica Moore, USA Today, 27 June 2026
Definition of napping
Verb
  • Armand assures him that Lestat’s not dead and simply resting before the concert, though Louis has no reason to believe this.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • The Kings again chose not to play Acuff, second-year guard Nique Clifford and second-year center Maxime Raynaud after resting them in Wednesday’s loss to the Boston Celtics.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of resting
Adjective
  • Work told her to log on anyway Getting rid of any interventions that require a parent’s presence in order for the baby to fall back asleep – including rocking, singing and bouncing — is a good trick.
    — Gavin Escott, USA Today, 16 July 2026
  • Her husband was asleep in bed, deeply so, despite an open curtain.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of asleep
Noun
  • Quinn offers treatment for allergies, hearing and sleep issues, general ear, nose and throat concerns and cosmetic procedures, according to his website.
    — Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
  • Wearable-device features that flag when your evening workout is delaying your own sleep onset — not the population average.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Definition of sleep
Noun
  • The Nazis tried to take it from Rome during the Second World War, but failed after the head of the Italian Football Federation, Ottorino Barassi, hid it in a shoebox underneath his bed.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • If this sounds like a lot of work, choose drought-tolerant plants or install drip irrigation around your garden beds.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
Definition of bed
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Gu-cheon has woken up from his drugged slumber and heads into the Realm of the Gwi.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 17 July 2026
  • Finally, of course, there are the ambitious optimists, people betting that fresh leadership will shake CNN out of it slumber (and give themselves a high-profile role to help achieve those goals).
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
Definition of slumber
Noun
  • The team celebrated Evenepoel’s stage win with champagne, and the next day, a rest day barbecue for team staff.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • For a wellness culture already obsessed with quantifying rest, circadian scores are the number the sleep score never quite delivered.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of rest

Browse Nearby Words

doziness
dozing
dozy
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Cite this Entry

“Dozing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dozing. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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