sleep

/slip/

/slip/

Other forms: slept; sleeping; sleeps

If you're tired, you probably need to sleep so lie down and close your eyes. When you wake up, you'll feel much better.

Everyone needs sleep and most of us get some at least once a day. Maybe that's why sleep is used in so many expressions. If you “sleep on it” you'll wait to make a decision until tomorrow. If you “sleep over,” you stay at someone's place for the night. A person who “lets sleeping dogs lie” knows when not to stir up trouble. If you slip into eternal sleep, you won't be needing any more naps.

Definitions of sleep

1. noun

   a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
   “he didn't get enough sleep last night”

   synonyms: slumber

   types:

   sleeping

   the state of being asleep

   NREM, NREM sleep, nonrapid eye movement, nonrapid eye movement sleep, orthodox sleep

   a recurring sleep state during which rapid eye movements do not occur and dreaming does not occur; accounts for about 75% of normal sleep time

   REM, REM sleep, paradoxical sleep, rapid eye movement, rapid eye movement sleep

   a recurring sleep state during which dreaming occurs; a state of rapidly shifting eye movements during sleep

   shuteye

   informal term for sleep

   type of:

   physical condition, physiological condition, physiological state

   the condition or state of the body or bodily functions
2. noun

   a period of time spent sleeping
   “he felt better after a little sleep”

   synonyms: nap

   types:

   beauty sleep

   sleep before midnight

   kip

   sleep

   type of:

   period, period of time, time period

   an amount of time
3. noun

   a torpid state resembling deep sleep
   synonyms: sopor

   type of:

   physical condition, physiological condition, physiological state

   the condition or state of the body or bodily functions
4. noun

   euphemism for death (based on an analogy between lying in a bed and in a tomb)
   “they had to put their family pet to sleep”

   synonyms: eternal rest, eternal sleep, quietus, rest

   type of:

   death

   the absence of life or state of being dead
5. verb

   be asleep
   synonyms: catch some Z's, kip, log Z's, slumber

   antonyms:

   wake

   be awake, be alert, be there

   types:

   bundle, practice bundling

   sleep fully clothed in the same bed with one's betrothed

   catch a wink, catnap, nap

   take a siesta

   sleep in, sleep late

   sleep later than usual or customary

   hibernate, hole up

   sleep during winter

   aestivate, estivate

   sleep during summer

   doze, drowse, snooze

   sleep lightly or for a short period of time

   type of:

   rest

   be at rest
6. verb

   be able to accommodate for sleeping
   “This tent sleeps six people”

   type of:

   accommodate, admit, hold

   have room for; hold without crowding