slept

A child slept soundly through the night.

Definition

1. Verb (past tense of sleep):
   • To have rested with eyes closed in a state of unconsciousness: "slept" is the simple past and past participle of sleep, meaning to have been in a natural, periodic state of rest for the body and mind.
   • To have passed the night: It can also refer to having spent a period of time in a state of sleep.

Usage Examples

• (I rested in a state of unconsciousness for eight hours.)
• (She remained asleep despite the loud noise.)
• (They passed the night resting in that cabin.)

Advanced Usage

• "slept on it": to have delayed a decision until after a period of sleep.

  • He wasn't sure about the offer, so he slept on it. (He postponed his decision until the next day.)

• "slept like a log": to have slept very deeply and soundly.

  • After the long hike, I slept like a log. (I slept without waking or moving much.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sleep (n/v): the base form; the state of rest or the act of resting.

  • She needs more sleep. (She requires more rest.)

• Sleepy (adj): feeling a need to sleep.

  • The warm room made him sleepy. (He felt drowsy.)

• Sleeper (n): a person who sleeps, or a train compartment designed for sleeping.

  • The baby is a light sleeper. (The baby wakes easily.)

Synonyms

• Napped: to have slept for a short period, usually during the day.

  • He napped for twenty minutes. (He slept briefly.)

• Dozed: to have slept lightly or intermittently.

  • She dozed off during the movie. (She fell into a light sleep.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Slept in: to have slept longer than usual in the morning.

  • We slept in on Saturday because there was no work. (We stayed in bed late.)

• Slept over: to have stayed overnight at someone else's home.

  • The children slept over at their friend's house. (They spent the night there.)

Related Idioms

• Let sleeping dogs lie: to avoid interfering in a situation that might cause trouble.

  • He didn't mention the argument, deciding to let sleeping dogs lie. (He chose not to disturb the peace.)

• Slept with the fishes: (informal) to have been killed and disposed of in water.

  • In the mobster movie, the traitor slept with the fishes. (He was murdered and thrown into the sea.)