sleeping 1 of 3

sleeping

2 of 3

noun

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleeping
Adjective
  • The victims' roommates have said all the occupants of the rental house near the University of Idaho campus were home and asleep or in their rooms by 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
  • In a video posted on March 4, which has already been viewed 1.5 million times, a three-day-old Alex lies fast asleep in his owner's arms, taking a nap in the sun.
    William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • With this new year, consider planning some fresh ways to cater to your creativity—and lean in to the importance of resting.
    Essence, Essence, 7 Jan. 2025
  • But the infection typically does improve with resting, drinking fluids and over-the-counter medication.
    Christina Shaw, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The post also shows Sophia napping on their couch surrounded by Santa hats, and a variety of homemade gifts made for one another.
    Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
  • The discovery of this titanic napping black hole is a breakthrough for this theory.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Producing companies can maintain decent drilling programs at $70 oil, but most of the currently active rigs would quickly go dormant at $50 per barrel.
    David Blackmon, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Obligate diapause solves this by ensuring that the whole population goes dormant just before pupation, the final transformation from larva to adult.
    Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 8 Mar. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Sleeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleeping. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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