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sleepless

/ˈsliplɪs/
/ˈsliplɪs/
IPA guide

If something is sleepless, it's wakeful or restless, like a sleepless night spent in an unfamiliar house listening to spooky noises.

You might be sleepless the night before an exciting trip, or sleepless in your sleeping bag because the ground feels cold and hard beneath you. Whenever sleep won't come—because of worry, excitement, or discomfort—you can describe yourself (and the night) as sleepless. It's used in a literary way as well, to mean "restless" or "constantly moving," like a sleepless willow tree swaying in the breeze.

Definitions of sleepless
  1. adjective
    experiencing or accompanied by sleeplessness
    “lay sleepless all night”
    synonyms: insomniac, watchful
    awake
    not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
  2. adjective
    always watchful
    synonyms: lidless
    alert, watchful
    engaged in or accustomed to close observation
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