bed
gb/bˈɛd/ us/bˈɛd/
A1
English
~ 600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Furniture for sleeping on
A piece of furniture you lie on to sleep.
Usage pattern:
to sleep in [a bed]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'bed' with 'bedroom', using one in place of the other.
Synonyms
bunk (A type of bed, often stacked in pairs, usually narrower.)
Antonyms
floor (Opposite in the sense of sleeping directly on the ground instead of on a raised surface.)
Collocations
make the bed
|go to bed
|lie in bed
|get out of bed
|bed frame
Themes
daily life
|home
|housing
|daily_life
Examples
- She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes.
- I bought a new bed for the guest room.
- The hotel room had a large, comfortable bed.
- He jumped onto his bed after a long day.
Learner examples
- I sleep in my bed every night.
- The bed is soft and warm.
- She sits on her bed to read.
- My dog sleeps under my bed.
Noun
A1
entity
2
Time when one goes to sleep
The time when you go to sleep at night.
Usage pattern:
to go to bed at [time]
Synonyms
bedtime (Refers specifically to the usual or scheduled time for going to sleep.)
Antonyms
wake-up time (The time when someone gets out of bed and starts their day.)
Collocations
go to bed early
|past my bedtime
|stay up past bedtime
Themes
daily life
|time
|daily_life
Examples
- I usually go to bed at 11 p.m.
- It's past your bed now, you should sleep.
- She went to bed early last night.
Learner examples
- I go to bed at ten o'clock.
- It is late. Time for bed.
- He goes to bed after dinner.
Noun
B1
entity
3
Bottom of river, lake, or sea
The ground under a river, lake, or sea.
Usage pattern:
the [river/sea/lake] bed
Synonyms
seafloor (Specifically refers to the bottom of the sea or ocean.)
Antonyms
water surface (Opposite in terms of location relative to the body of water.)
Collocations
river bed
|sea bed
|ocean bed
Themes
nature
|geography
|space
Examples
- The river bed was dry after the summer heat.
- Divers explored the sea bed for treasure.
- Sand covered most of the ocean bed.
Learner examples
- Fish swim above the river bed.
- The sea bed is very deep.
- We can see rocks on the lake bed.
Noun
A2
entity
4
Area in garden for plants
A part of a garden where flowers or vegetables grow.
Usage pattern:
[flower/vegetable] bed
Synonyms
plot (A small piece of land used for planting, not necessarily as neatly arranged as a 'bed'.)
Antonyms
lawn (An area of grass rather than cultivated plants.)
Collocations
flower bed
|vegetable bed
|raised bed
Themes
nature
|gardening
|daily_life
Examples
- She planted tulips in the flower bed.
- We built a raised vegetable bed in our backyard.
- The garden beds were full of colorful blooms.
Learner examples
- I see roses in the flower bed.
- We grow carrots in this vegetable bed.
- The flower bed is next to the house.
Verb
B2
action
5
To lay or set into a base layer
To put something into or onto a soft or protective layer so it stays there.
Usage pattern:
to bed [something] in/into [something]
Synonyms
embed ('Embed' is more general and often used for abstract things like ideas or images; 'bed' is more physical.)
Antonyms
remove (Opposite action of taking something out from its base or layer.)
Collocations
bed in pipes
|bed plants into soil
Themes
construction
|daily life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The engineer will bed the cables into concrete.
- They bedded the seedlings into fresh compost.
- Each tile is carefully bedded in mortar.
Learner examples
- We bed the plant in the soil.
- The worker beds the pipe in sand.
- They bed the bricks in cement.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bed
IPA
GB/bˈɛd/
US/bˈɛd/
Syllables & stress
bed (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bed)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bed
- Plural: bed, beds
Verb
- Base: bed
- 3rd Person Singular: beds
- Present Participle: bedding
- Past: bedded
Word family
Forms
beds
noun
bedding
verb
bedded
verb
Core family
bedroom
noun A1
bedtime
noun
Related words
bedside
noun B1
bedbug
noun
Advanced or less common
bedridden
adjective
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: bedding Verb
- Irregular past: bedded Verb
Expressions
bed down
1/bˈɛd dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
Sleep somewhere temporarily, often outdoors or away from home
To lie down and sleep somewhere, often not your own home.
Examples
- We bedded down in the barn for the night.
- Soldiers were bedding down under the stars.
get out of bed on the wrong side
1/ɡˈɛt ˈaʊt əv bˈɛd ˈɔn ðə ɹˈɔŋ sˈaɪd/
idiom
informal
Wake up in a bad mood without reason
To feel angry or unhappy for no reason after waking up.
Examples
- He must have got out of bed on the wrong side—he's been grumpy all day.
- Did you get out of bed on the wrong side this morning?
go to bed
1/ɡˈoʊ tə bˈɛd/
fixed phrase
To get into bed to sleep
To get into your bed so you can sleep.
Examples
- I usually go to bed at midnight.
- You should go to bed early if you have an exam tomorrow.
make the bed
1/mˈeɪk ðə bˈɛd/
fixed phrase
Arrange bedding after sleeping in it
To make your blanket and sheets neat after you wake up.
Examples
- She makes her bed every morning before breakfast.
- Don't forget to make the bed before guests arrive.
put to bed
1/pˈʊt tə bˈɛd/
idiom
Help into bed or finish task/project
To help someone get into their bed for sleep, or to finish a job completely.
Examples
- I put the kids to bed at nine o'clock.
- We finally put the project to bed after months of work.