abed

¹ American  

[uh-bed] / əˈbɛd /

adverb

1. in bed.

   to stay abed late on Sundays.

2. confined to bed.

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A.B.Ed. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Bachelor of Arts in Education.

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abed British  

/ əˈbɛd /

adverb

1. archaic in bed

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Etymology

Origin of abed

Middle English word dating back to 1200–1300; a- ¹, bed

Explanation

To be abed means to be in bed, whether you're resting, sleeping, or just lounging with a good book. Derived from the Old English term onbedd, the word abed paints a cozy picture of rest and relaxation. It refers to the act of staying in bed for any reason, whether to enjoy a lazy Sunday morning or to recuperate from an illness. Staying abed allows you to snuggle under warm blankets, savor a good book, or simply enjoy the comfort of home while recharging your energy.

Example Sentences

But we have also filled our cemeteries with those who defied the remedies of sunshine and citrus, and died abed anyway.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2024

Above the narrow little room where May and Timothy sit plotting, their father lies abed, his wits gone haywire.

From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2021

I began to notice I was losing sleep about a decade ago − at first just a little top-and-tailing of the main period of repose, so I lay abed an hour or so less.

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2015

“Respectable” women were abed and largely avoided Whitechapel to begin with.

From Slate • Sep. 11, 2014

A doctor was called—I was afterwards told—and he ordered that I be kept abed, that I be kept quiet, that my very life depended upon it.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• comatose
• unconscious