as in napping
to sleep lightly or briefly
picnickers drowsing in the shade of an oak tree
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Recent Examples of drowsing
Bear in mind that those 55 million impressions were totted up long before Nielsen began counting scores of drowsing aunts and hyperactive toddlers among its national TV deliveries.
—
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Nov. 2025
Jena looked over at the man’s camel, drowsing alongside the tent.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Nov. 2025
Jena looked over at the man’s camel, drowsing alongside the tent.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drowsing
Verb
-
Outside a tent, Dunk is told, by two of the show’s jaded yet cheerful prostitutes, that Ser Manfred is busy napping.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The low, boxy silhouette is ripe for secret-sharing or cat-napping.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This can raise resting heart rate, increase weakness and fatigue, and reduce endurance—even during everyday activities, not just exercise.—
Katharine Gammon,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Dormant plants are alive but resting, while dead plants won’t recover and should be removed.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In fact, on many nights I could be found dozing in the chair with her tiny body curled onto my chest.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Shot in gorgeous widescreen (an unusual format for documentaries), the movie catalogs all the way people behave around what appears to be a single bear, first seen dozing with her two cubs.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The actress had a hard time slumbering after her week one mistakes, and now she’s expected to do a cartwheel into splits after tearing her hamstring?—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
23 Sep. 2025
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The late-slumbering parent, meanwhile, can do remote work on their laptop at the table at night while the rest of the family sleeps comfortably.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drowsing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drowsing. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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