Showing results for "sleepwalking"

• present participle of sleepwalk.

sleepwalking

American  

[sleep-waw-king] / ˈslipˌwɔ kɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or state of walking, eating, or performing other motor acts while asleep, of which one is unaware upon awakening; a condition or disorder characterized by this.

   If the sleepwalking occurs often, the healthcare provider may do tests to rule out other disorders such as seizures.

2. the state or condition of acting seemingly without awareness, feeling, aim, or will.

   Mindfulness is a commitment to staying awake to reality in each moment—avoiding any sleepwalking through life.

---

adjective

1. walking while asleep; relating to this state or condition.

   It is unwise to try waking up a sleepwalking child, as this may result in distress for the child.

2. acting seemingly without awareness, feeling, aim, or will.

   Last night Nigeria easily beat the sleepwalking UK team, now on the brink of elimination.

Other Word Forms

• sleepwalker
  noun

---

Etymology

Origin of sleepwalking

First recorded in 1790–1800; sleep + walking

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sleepwalking

When she sings "Let me wake up from this horrible dream", it sounds like she's sleepwalking.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

“People are kind of sleepwalking into disaster,” Nestler said.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

“Myanmar appears to be sleepwalking into China’s sphere of influence,” the ISP-Myanmar team wrote in an annual report published in January.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

On a never-ending feed we watch the cute and profane, sleepwalking toward an emotional state beyond shock as entertainment: the banality of passive consumption.

From Slate ● May 12, 2026

He hadn't even meant to, he was practically sleepwalking.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---