oversleep
verb (used without object)
to sleep beyond the proper or intended time of waking.
had overslept
-
past perfectof oversleep.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The teenager from Warrington said he had overslept after taking a morning nap, which did not impress his colleagues.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2025
He had overslept because his phone wasn’t working, and he didn’t know missing one appointment would put him back on the streets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2022
By the time the doctor made it to his house, there was no sign of any illness and it later emerged he had been up late playing video games and had overslept.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 26, 2018
Like many people there, I bought a battery-powered alarm clock after waking up one morning to discover I had overslept because there had been a power failure in the middle of the night.
From New York Times ● Oct. 4, 2017
I had pretty much come to the conclusion that Ob had overslept not because he had made a mistake but because deep down he was finished.
From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant
