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.
have been sleeping
-
present perfect progressiveof sleep.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.
"Nobody knows what's happening," resident Hassan Jalwan told AFP, adding that "displaced people have been sleeping in the open" in the area.
From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 2026
The medics have been sleeping in the operating theatres, she says.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2025
And that’s how he found himself alone in the IMS grandstands when he should have been sleeping.
From Seattle Times ● May 23, 2024
Some research shows hunter-gatherer communities might have been sleeping in one go, much as we do now.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 4, 2024
Late at night when we walked home from the laundry, they should have been sleeping behind locked doors, not overflowing into the streets in front of the benevolent associations, all alit.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
