slumber
Americanverb (used without object)
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to sleep, especially lightly; doze; drowse.
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to be in a state of inactivity, negligence, quiescence, or calm.
Vesuvius is slumbering.
verb (used with object)
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to spend or pass (time) in slumbering (often followed by away, out, orthrough ).
to slumber the afternoon away.
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to dispel or forget by slumbering (often followed byaway ).
to slumber cares away.
noun
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Sometimes slumbers. sleep, especially light sleep.
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a period of sleep, especially light sleep.
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a state of inactivity, quiescence, etc.
verb
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(intr) to sleep, esp peacefully
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(intr) to be quiescent or dormant
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to spend (time) sleeping
noun
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(sometimes plural) sleep
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a dormant or quiescent state
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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slumbersimple
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slumberssimple
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have slumberedperfect
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has slumberedperfect
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am slumberingprogressive
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are slumberingprogressive
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is slumberingprogressive
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have been slumberingperfect progressive
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has been slumberingperfect progressive
Past
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slumberedsimple
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had slumberedperfect
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was slumberingprogressive
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were slumberingprogressive
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had been slumberingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of slumber
1175–1225; (v.) Middle English slumeren, frequentative of slumen to doze, derivative of Old English slūma sleep ( see -er 6); compare German schlummern; (noun) Middle English slomur, slomber, derivative of the v.
Explanation
Slumber means "sleep" — as a verb or noun. If you're a sound sleeper, you might slumber peacefully right through a thunderstorm, your slumber undisturbed. To slumber is to sleep, sometimes specifically to sleep lightly or doze. You can slumber in your bed, in your airplane seat, or through your alarm in the morning. Slumber can also describe a peacefulness, like your quiet street that seems to slumber early in the morning. The phrase slumber party was first used in the 1940s to mean a gathering held at night, that usually involves very little slumbering.
Vocabulary lists containing slumber
Beowulf vocabulary
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The Blood of Olympus
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Nehru's "Tryst with Destiny" Speech
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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.
The clinical standard for measuring slumber is an in-lab overnight study, or a polysomnogram.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Record sightings have been reported again this year as the bears emerge from their winter slumber, according to local media.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
Nvidia’s stock has awakened from its slumber, clocking its seventh consecutive day of gains.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
It’s possible, of course, that the market will be stirred out of its slumber by a major development.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Mom and Dad exploded with cheers and applause, waking Fig from his peaceful slumber and sending him lumbering down the hall.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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.
