sleepover

American  

[sleep-oh-ver] / ˈslipˌoʊ vər /

noun

1. an instance of sleeping over, as at another person's house.

2. a person who sleeps over.

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sleepover British  

/ ˈsliːpˌəʊvə /

noun

1. informal an instance of spending the night at someone else's home

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Etymology

Origin of sleepover

First recorded in 1970–75; noun use of verb phrase sleep over

Explanation

A sleepover is a night you spend sleeping at a friend's house. Some sleepovers are large gatherings of many pajama-wearing friends, while overs consist of just two people. If you're invited to a sleepover, you'll want to pack a sleeping bag, your toothbrush, and pajamas. Kids and teenagers are the most likely to attend sleepovers, which often mark the first time a child has slept away from her own bed. When a sleepover involves a group of friends, you can also call it a slumber party or pajama party. Sleepover has been used since the 1930s.

Example Sentences

Maye always looks like he’s just come home from a sleepover.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

Though the scene seems like something out of a movie, it is in fact a whimsical sleepover at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025

“She came home one night from a sleepover, ‘I want to play the game with a stick.’

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 18, 2025

“Ralph Breaks the Internet” co-writer Pamela Ribon, who also voiced Snow for that film’s epic Disney princess sleepover scene, doesn’t hit the high notes like Caselotti did.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2025

“Okay, Truth. If Savanna, Ellie, and Gretchen hadn’t gone skiing this weekend, would you still have asked Charlotte and me to a sleepover tonight?”

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio