SLUMBERING Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

slumbering 1 of 3

adjective

as in sleeping

being in a state of suspended consciousness made a comparison between the inattentive nation and a slumbering giant

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

slumbering

2 of 3

noun

as in slumber

a natural periodic loss of consciousness during which the body restores itself my peaceful slumbering was interrupted by a ring of the doorbell

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slumbering

3 of 3

verb

present participle of slumber

as in resting

to be in a state of sleep she slumbered for hours while the train rolled on

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as in napping

to sleep lightly or briefly slumbering restlessly in the tropical heat

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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 slumbering

Adjective

Flat, slow, even sleepier than the slumbering crowd that had come to see him. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 The fireworks came instead from the Dodgers' slumbering offense, which awoke with Max Muncy's three-run double and Freddie Freeman's RBI single after Skubal departed. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 The first murder is a girl slicing into her slumbering mother’s neck with a hacksaw; then her brother pounds his father’s face in with a baseball bat. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026 The shorthanded goal seemed to wake the slumbering Ducks, with Gauthier scoring on a power play 37 seconds later to halve the lead and become the first Duck with 40 goals in a season since Corey Perry in 2013-14. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026 Transform a slumbering downtown into a bustling business sector. — Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026 The supermassive black hole sitting at the heart of our galaxy is considered to be a slumbering giant. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Jan. 2026 Trump revived a slumbering American electorate and drove record turnout, winning and losing; Mamdani won more votes than any modern mayor. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025 Along the way, the protagonist must also find a way to lift the curse on his eternally slumbering friend, who happens to be the prince. — PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025

Verb

In particular, the image of the sickly, slumbering child recurs throughout Marcon’s work. — Matthew McLean, Artforum, 22 Sep. 2026 The winter months pass, long nights, a bomb cyclone that buries my basement windows in snow and leaves me to lurk in the dark like a slumbering bear, and then spring arrives abrupt and clanging and golden. — Brian Laidlaw, Longreads, 1 Sep. 2026 In other words, the long-slumbering giant in the US space industry may finally be waking up. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026 Their football was slumbering, stuttering. — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 31 May 2026 And amazingly, photographs of them have been slumbering in archives or circulating unidentified for almost a century. — Glenn Kurtz, Time, 28 Mar. 2026 Others showed baby Spero clasping his tiny hand around Graham's finger and slumbering with a smile on his face. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026 One of the men set fire to the slumbering victim’s clothes, causing a small blaze, police said. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026 The world's largest acidic geyser has begun erupting again in Yellowstone after slumbering for over five years, the national park said Monday. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slumbering

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

Mattresses and linens are unsurprisingly comfortable—the Langham’s bedding has, after all, become synonymous with inducing deep slumbers.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
There is still time for the Republican Party to awaken from its slumber and stand up in the history of our nation for freedom-loving peoples across Europe.

— Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of slumber

Verb

Research suggests nasal breathing may lower the likelihood of developing allergies, and preliminary studies link resting nasal breathing to lower blood pressure than mouth breathing.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
Danyl Bosomworth, founder of ice bath brand Brass Monkey, told The Independent that women tend to carry a higher body fat percentage, a smaller body surface area to volume ratio and a lower resting metabolic rate.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of resting

Verb

In school, this might happen when children are sitting very close to each other or napping alongside classmates.

— Emily J. C. Wong, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
The large, breezy beachfront bungalows, meanwhile, have unobstructed views of the Pacific, whirlpool tubs, outside showers and hammocks that serve as prime spots for napping.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of napping

Adjective

Wyatt was charged again with drunken driving in May 2026 after she was found asleep at the wheel in Galveston County.

— Isaac Yu, Houston Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2026
The only reason to think this may be a game is if the Cowboys are asleep, and Jalon Daniels has some success running the ball.

— Mac Engel October 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of asleep

Noun

What readers are saying The comments discuss various aspects of maintaining health and well-being as one ages, emphasizing the importance of exercise, healthy eating, adequate sleep, and mental activity.

— Richard Sima, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Symptoms included fatigue, headaches, poor sleep and concentration, and a vague inability to keep up with the increasing pace of demands of the age.

— Kirsten Balin, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of sleep

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

Definition of dozing

Adjective

The issues may have been lying dormant The vulnerabilities have been known about since at least 2024, according to the PHP Foundation.

— Kaitlyn Huamani, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
So Hanawalt reactivated her dormant Facebook account and began scrolling through local horse sale groups.

— Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of dormant

Browse Nearby Words

slumberers

slumbering

slumberous

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Style

“Slumbering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slumbering. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of slumbering

adjective

noun

verb

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