Phrase guide

put to sleep

verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To cause (someone) to sleep.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • His boring stories sometimes put me to sleep.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To help (someone) to bed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • After they'd put the kids to sleep, they relaxed by the fire and chatted.
  • 1916, Stratemeyer Syndicate, Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue on Grandpa's Farm, Chapter XXV: Grandpa's Horses, Grandpa Brown rode off with Mr. and Mrs. Kendall; and Bunny and Sue were given a good dinner and put to sleep that afternoon, for they were tired, sleepy and hungry.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: put to bed, put down

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To render dormant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive, uncommon

Examples

  • 1935, Edgar Allison Peers (translator), John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book 1, Chapter I, For there is no going forth from the pains and afflictions of the secret places of the desires until these be mortified and put to sleep.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: put to rest, put to bed

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To kill an animal painlessly, often with an injection.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: euphemistic, transitive

Examples

  • Near-synonym: put to bed with a shovel (cynical tone)
  • It was sad to put our beloved spaniel to sleep, but it was better than letting him suffer.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: put down, euthanize, put to bed with a shovel

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To give a general anesthetic prior to surgery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • Mommy's surgery is not a big operation but it does require that they put her to sleep for a while.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: put under, anesthetize, anaesthetise

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

kill gently, as with an injection

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the cat was very ill and we had to put it to sleep

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: put away

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: kill

7

verb

Meaning 7

help someone go to bed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Mother put the baby to sleep

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: put

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

59 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: نَوَّمَ (nawwama) — to cause someone to sleep
  • Arabic: أَنَامَ (ʔanāma) — to cause someone to sleep
  • Arabic: نعس (naʕʕas) — to cause someone to sleep
  • Chichewa: gonetsa — to cause someone to sleep
  • Ngazidja Comorian: umaza — to cause someone to sleep
  • Czech: uspat — to cause someone to sleep
  • Czech: uspávat — to cause someone to sleep
  • French: endormir — to cause someone to sleep
  • Galician: adormentar — to cause someone to sleep
  • Galician: adurmiñar — to cause someone to sleep
  • German: einschläfern — to cause someone to sleep
  • German: einlullen — to cause someone to sleep
  • Greek: κοιμίζω (koimízo) — to cause someone to sleep
  • Ancient Greek: κοιμίζω (koimízō) — to cause someone to sleep
  • Hungarian: elaltat — to cause someone to sleep
  • Ingrian: nukuttaa — to cause someone to sleep
  • Ingrian: makoittaa — to cause someone to sleep
  • Italian: addormentare — to cause someone to sleep
  • Japanese: 眠らせる (nemuraseru) — to cause someone to sleep
  • Māori: whakaturamoe — to cause someone to sleep
  • Norwegian Bokmål: legge — to cause someone to sleep
  • Norwegian Bokmål: få til å sove — to cause someone to sleep
  • Polish: usypiać — to cause someone to sleep
  • Polish: uśpić — to cause someone to sleep
  • Spanish: adormecer — to cause someone to sleep
  • Swedish: söva — to cause someone to sleep
  • Swedish: få att somna — to cause someone to sleep
  • Turkish: uyutmak — to cause someone to sleep
  • Walloon: edoirmi — to cause someone to sleep
  • Hungarian: elaltat — to render dormant
  • Polish: usypiać — to render dormant
  • Polish: uśpić — to render dormant
  • German: einschläfern — to kill an animal
  • Hungarian: elaltat — to kill an animal
  • Icelandic: svæfa — to kill an animal
  • Icelandic: svæfa dýr — to kill an animal
  • Icelandic: lóga — to kill an animal
  • Icelandic: aflífa — to kill an animal
  • Italian: mandare al mattatoio — to kill an animal
  • Japanese: 眠らせる (nemuraseru) — to kill an animal
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avlive — to kill an animal
  • Polish: usypiać — to kill an animal
  • Polish: uśpić — to kill an animal
  • Russian: усыпля́ть (usypljátʹ) — to kill an animal
  • Russian: усыпи́ть (usypítʹ) — to kill an animal
  • Turkish: uyutmak — to kill an animal
  • Czech: uspat — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Czech: uspávat — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Finnish: nukuttaa — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Galician: adormentar — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Greek: κοιμίζω (koimízo) — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Hungarian: altat — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Icelandic: svæfa — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Italian: anestetizzare — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Italian: addormentare — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Polish: usypiać — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Polish: uśpić — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Russian: усыпля́ть (usypljátʹ) — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery
  • Russian: усыпи́ть (usypítʹ) — to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery