hibernate
Americanverb (used without object)
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Zoology. to spend the winter in close quarters in a dormant condition, as bears and certain other animals.
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to withdraw or be in seclusion; retire.
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to winter in a place with a milder climate.
Each winter finds us hibernating in Florida.
verb
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(of some mammals, reptiles, and amphibians) to pass the winter in a dormant condition with metabolism greatly slowed down Compare aestivate
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to cease from activity
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hibernate
First recorded in 1795–1805, hibernate is from the Latin word hībernātus (past participle of hībernāre to spend the winter). See hibernal, -ate 1
Explanation
To hibernate means to take a season-long snooze. When a bear crawls into a cave with a belly full of food ready to sleep through the cold winter, that bear is going to hibernate until spring. Animals that sleep through the winter, like bears, squirrels, rodents and even some rattlesnakes, are said to hibernate through the winter. This word can also be used to describe any kind of inactive or dormant state, especially for the purpose of getting rest. If you’ve had a tough week and you’re planning to shut down and hole up in your house for the weekend, you could say you’re going to hibernate this weekend.
Vocabulary lists containing hibernate
Wintry Words
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New Year, New Words: Vocabulary for January
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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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.
In September 2023, rain followed by Tropical Storm Hilary established conditions for breeding and the subsequent insect activity in a time when the mosquitoes typically begin to hibernate.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
It’s a time to hibernate, rest and nourish yourself in preparation for the year of parties ahead.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
Rats do not hibernate, so when exposed to the cold, it can kill them outright or result in them producing fewer pups, as baby rats are known – which in turn slows population growth.
From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025
The mechanisms animals use to hibernate or slow their metabolism during unfavorable seasonal conditions are similar to those used by resurrecting creatures, who are just rather more extreme about it.
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2025
Swallows were still thought to hibernate at the bottom of ponds.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
