sleeping

[slee-ping]

noun

1. the condition of being asleep.

adjective

1. asleep.

2. of, relating to, or having accommodations for sleeping.

   a sleeping compartment.

3. used to sleep in or on.

   a sleeping jacket.

4. used to induce or aid sleep or while asleep.

   sleeping mask.

Other Word Forms

• unsleeping adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sleeping¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; sleep, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

"We're fearful, every time it rains it's like a river down here. My wife is on edge, she's not sleeping."

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There was a buzz in the room as he stood before Mexican painter Kahlo’s sleeping self-portrait.

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The artwork depicts Kahlo sleeping in a bed that appears to float through the sky, beneath a skeleton with its legs wrapped in sticks of dynamite.

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The authority received nearly £1m last month to help tackle rough sleeping in the city.

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Ms Cox said she had not been sleeping, her hair was falling out and she was having panic attacks.

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Related Words

• comatose 
• unconscious