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
  • Infant Lili — who seemed to be asleep! — kept cozy in a striped hat as Meghan held her daughter in her arms.
    Janine Henni, People.com, 4 June 2025
  • In addition to the Washington, D.C., and Boulder attacks, a 38-year-old man was arrested in April and charged with firebombing the Pennsylvania governor's residence in Harrisburg, while Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, and his family were asleep inside, officials said.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • During the winter months, your lawn is either growing slowly or resting in dormancy, depending on the climate in your region.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 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
  • Glenn Close may have played the dog-napping Cruella De Vil in the 1996 live-action 101 Dalmatians, but Stone starred in this 2021 prequel, which explored Cruella's origins inside the world of high fashion.
    James Mercadante, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • While napping has been found to be beneficial for cognitive abilities like memory and function, the timing is important — longer naps and napping later in the afternoon could cause someone to feel more alert when bedtime rolls around, Drerup said.
    Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Summer heat and dry conditions slow down turfgrass growth; drought-tolerant grass turns dormant, a natural protective response to adverse conditions.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2025
  • While most hosts of the parasite can control the initial infection with few if any symptoms, Toxoplasma remains in the body for life as dormant cysts in brain, heart and muscle tissue.
    Bill Sullivan, The Conversation, 28 May 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 10 Jun. 2025.

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