oversleep

American  

[oh-ver-sleep] / ˌoʊ vərˈslip /

verb (used without object)

overslept, oversleeping

1. to sleep beyond the proper or intended time of waking.

   He overslept and missed his train.

---

verb (used with object)

overslept, oversleeping

1. to sleep beyond (a certain hour).

   She had overslept her usual time of arising.

2. to let (oneself ) sleep past the hour of arising.

   Of all mornings to oversleep myself!

oversleep British  

/ ˌəʊvəˈsliːp /

verb

1. (intr) to sleep beyond the intended time for getting up

---

Etymology

Origin of oversleep

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; over-, sleep

Example Sentences

If I happen to oversleep, the music serves as my alarm clock.

From New York Times • Jan. 7, 2023

Symptoms include a tendency to overeat, oversleep, lack of energy, and difficulty concentrating on tasks.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The first time I picked him up for an early morning appointment I must have set a dozen alarms, terrified I’d oversleep.

From Washington Post • Dec. 20, 2021

The average American will also oversleep and be late for work once a week, with one in six saying that number is actually higher.

From Fox News • Jun. 9, 2019

Had that soft bed deceived him and made him oversleep?

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie