sleep
verb (used without object)
to take the rest afforded by a suspension of voluntary bodily functions and the natural suspension, complete or partial, of consciousness; cease being awake.
has been sleeping
-
present perfect progressiveof sleep (3rd person singular).present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
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.
She has been sleeping on a mattress on a classroom floor for months after fleeing her now destroyed border village after the previous hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah erupted.
From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026
Calumn, who has been sleeping rough for eight years, said: "It made me feel inadequate."
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026
Since the clearing, Beatty has been sleeping outside without shelter.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2025
“I worry,” said Donna Martin, 77, of Glendale, who has been sleeping in a waterbed for 50 years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2024
Addison himself we are bound by a sentiment as much like affection as any sentiment can be which is inspired by one who has been sleeping a hundred and twenty years in Westminster Abbey....
From Henry Esmond; The English Humourists; The Four Georges by Saintsbury, George
