Synonyms of sleeping

sleeping 1 of 3

adjective

as in asleep

being in a state of suspended consciousness

a roomful of sleeping preschoolers at a daycare center

Synonyms & Similar Words

• asleep
• resting
• napping
• dormant
• at rest
• dozing
• slumbering
• dreaming
• nodding
• drowsy
• sleepy
• somnolent
• comatose
• slumberous
• sleepwalking
• hypnotized
• semiconscious
• reposing
• somnambulant
• mesmerized

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• awake
• sleepless
• wakeful
• aware
• wide-awake
• conscious
• sleepless
• up
• aroused
• awakened
• revived
• wakened
• roused
• astir
• reawakened

sleeping

2 of 3

noun

as in resting

Related Words

• resting
• slumbering
• dozing
• lethargy
• torpidity
• oversleeping
• torpor
• tiredness
• sleepiness
• sluggishness
• drowsiness
• fatigue
• lassitude
• somnolence
• weariness
• doziness

Dissimilar Words

• insomnia
• consciousness
• wakefulness
• awareness
• sleeplessness

sleeping

3 of 3

verb

present participle of sleep

1

as in napping

to be in a state of sleep

the baby slept for the entire length of the car trip

found the night watchman sleeping at his post

Synonyms & Similar Words

• resting
• napping
• dozing
• dreaming
• snoozing
• slumbering
• catnapping
• dropping off
• sleeping in
• hibernating
• nodding off
• drowsing (off)
• oversleeping

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• waking
• rising
• arising
• arousing
• awaking

2

as in breeding

to engage in sexual intercourse

if I don't read the tabloids, how will I know who is sleeping with whom this week?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• breeding
• mating
• doing it
• having sex
• copulating
• fornicating
• fooling around

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sleeping

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

Noun

Remaining in this same great room, the main sleeping area is adjacent. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

So, pack lots of extra layers and your warmest sleeping system, especially since snow and ice are common sights during this time of year. — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Sep. 2026

But if the plan was to let sleeping dogs lie, Bartiromo interfered by passing along the internal guidance. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Chatting’s gastroenterologist ruled out alcohol consumption, noting in her medical records that Chatting had always been a light drinker, and instead cited an herbal sleeping aid as a likely factor. — Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2026

While both the primary and secondary suites live on the main level, an ascending staircase leads you up to a dedicated workspace and additional sleeping accommodations courtesy of a sleeper sofa. — Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 1 Sep. 2026

The extra room doesn’t showcase a single feature, but is distributed across a larger sleeping area, additional storage and more open space around the seat. — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026

More than 200 of its sailors were receiving treatment for smoke inhalation, a result of a laundry room fire that spread through the ventilation system into the carrier’s sleeping quarters. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026

No matter your sleeping style, there’s an option below that fits your needs, with prices starting at just $220. — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Verb

Do not wear them while sleeping unless a healthcare provider advises it. — Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026

The research team used this bank of information to compare health outcomes with the nightly tossing and turning of just under 100,000 sleeping participants. — Mike McRae 17, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026

What kind of teenager isn’t playing video games, cracking open bottles of Sparkling Apple Cider or sleeping at midnight on New Year’s Eve? — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Rising Secondary Michigan’s secondary was overshadowed a bit by the defensive front in the preseason, but no one should be sleeping on the defensive backs. — Austin Meek, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

But until a few days ago, hundreds of migrant children were sleeping outside on the soccer field next door. — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2026

Hingson had set up a conference room for a breakfast meeting moments before the crash, and Roselle was sleeping at his feet. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026

Of course there is a fire risk associated with sleeping rough, but most encampment fires start in dense neighborhoods like Skid Row. — Maggie McGowan, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026

Krinberg says that if a mattress is flippable, both sides will be designed for sleeping. — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 3 Sep. 2026