sleep
gb/slˈip/ us/slˈip/
A1
English
~ 2400
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A1
state
1
to rest with eyes closed
To rest your body and mind with your eyes closed, usually at night.
Usage pattern:
to sleep [time period]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sleep' (verb) with 'asleep' (adjective). For example, 'I am sleep' is incorrect; it should be 'I am asleep' or 'I sleep at night.'
Synonyms
rest (More general; can mean relaxing without sleeping.)
Antonyms
wake (To stop sleeping and become conscious again.)
Collocations
sleep well
|sleep late
|sleep deeply
|sleep soundly
|sleep peacefully
Themes
daily life
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I try to sleep at least eight hours every night.
- She slept through the entire flight.
- He couldn't sleep because of the noise outside.
- I usually sleep on my left side.
- They slept under the stars during their camping trip.
Learner examples
- I sleep at night.
- She sleeps in her bed.
- We sleep for eight hours.
- He sleeps early.
- They sleep in the tent.
Noun
A1
state
2
state of resting unconsciousness
The time when you are resting with your eyes closed and not awake.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say 'a sleep' when referring to the general state. Correct usage is 'sleep' without an article unless referring to 'a sleep' as an occasional nap.
Synonyms
slumber (Slightly more formal or literary; less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
wakefulness (The state of being awake and alert.)
Collocations
deep sleep
|lack of sleep
|good night's sleep
|REM sleep
|sleep disorder
Themes
daily life
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He fell into a deep sleep after the long day.
- Lack of sleep can affect your health.
- I need to get more sleep during the week.
- Her baby finally went to sleep.
- Sleep is important for recovery.
Learner examples
- I need more sleep.
- Sleep is good for health.
- He gets eight hours of sleep.
- The baby is in deep sleep.
- She needs a good night's sleep.
Verb
informal
A2
action
3
to stay overnight somewhere
To stay in a place overnight to rest or sleep there.
Usage pattern:
to sleep [somewhere]
Synonyms
stay overnight (More formal and explicit about spending the night.)
Antonyms
leave (To go away instead of staying overnight.)
Collocations
sleep over
|sleep rough
|sleep in a hotel
|sleep on the couch
Themes
travel
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We slept at my cousin's house last weekend.
- They slept on the beach under blankets.
- You can sleep here if it's too late to go home.
- He sometimes sleeps in his office when working late.
Learner examples
- I will sleep at my friend's house.
- They sleep in a tent when camping.
- We can sleep here tonight.
- She sleeps in the hotel.
- He will sleep on the sofa.
Noun
informal
B1
entity
4
dried mucus in eye after sleeping
A small dry thing in your eye that comes while you are sleeping.
Synonyms
eye crust (Informal term referring to the same substance.)
Collocations
wipe away sleep
|remove sleep from eyes
Themes
daily life
|health
|body
|daily_life
Examples
- She wiped the sleep from her eyes.
- There was some sleep in his eye when he woke up.
- He rubbed his eyes to remove the sleep.
Learner examples
- I have sleep in my eye.
- He took the sleep out of his eyes.
- She wiped away the sleep.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sleep
IPA
GB/slˈip/
US/slˈip/
Syllables & stress
sleep (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sleep)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sleep
- Plural: sleep
Verb
- Base: sleep
- 3rd Person Singular: sleeps
- Present Participle: sleeping
- Past: slept
- Past Participle: slept
Word family
Forms
sleeps
verb
sleeping
verb
slept
verb
Related words
sleeper
noun
sleepiness
noun
sleepily
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
sleepless
adjective B1
Advanced or less common
sleeplessness
noun
Highlights
- Irregular past: slept Verb
- Irregular past participle: slept Verb
Expressions
go to sleep
1/ɡˈoʊ tə slˈip/
fixed phrase
to start sleeping
To start sleeping.
Examples
- The baby finally went to sleep after an hour of crying.
- I usually go to sleep around 11 p.m.
go without sleep
1/ɡˈoʊ wɪðˈaʊt slˈip/
fixed phrase
to not get any sleep when needed or expected
To not get any sleep during a time when you normally would.
Examples
- He went without sleep for two nights while working on the project.
- You can’t go without sleep for too long—it’s bad for your health.
lose sleep over [something]
1/lˈuz slˈip ˈoʊvɚ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
informal
to worry so much it affects your sleep
To worry about something so much that you cannot sleep well.
Examples
- Don't lose sleep over that mistake—it’s not a big deal.
- She’s been losing sleep over her upcoming exams.
sleep in
1/slˈip ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
informal
to wake up later than usual
To stay in bed and wake up later than you usually do.
Examples
- We decided to sleep in on Sunday morning.
- I slept in because it was my day off.
sleep over
1/slˈip ˈoʊvɚ/
phrasal verb
informal
to stay overnight elsewhere for rest
To spend the night at another person's home.
Examples
- My friend invited me to sleep over at her house this weekend.
- The kids are sleeping over at their grandparents' tonight.
put [someone] to sleep
1/pˈʊt sˈʌmwˌʌn tə slˈip/
fixed phrase
make someone sleep
To help someone start sleeping, often by reading or singing to them.
Examples
- She put the baby to sleep with a lullaby.
- The lecture put half the class to sleep.
- Warm milk sometimes puts me to sleep.
- He put the baby to sleep by singing softly.
fall asleep
1/fˈɔl əslˈip/
fixed phrase
start to sleep
To start sleeping.
Examples
- I usually fall asleep within minutes of going to bed.
- I fell asleep during the movie.
- He fell asleep on the bus and missed his stop.
- She fell asleep on the bus ride home.
fall asleep
2/fˈɔl əslˈip/
fixed phrase
begin sleeping
To start sleeping.
Examples
- I must have fallen asleep in front of the TV.
- The baby finally fell asleep after an hour of crying.