adj · 3 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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/ˈsliːpləs/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S L IY1 P L AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Characterized by an absence of sleep: wakeful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I spent a sleepless night worrying about the exams.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adjective satellite
Meaning 2
always watchful- Alfred Tennyson
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
to an eye like mine, a lidless watcher of the public weal
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lidless
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
experiencing or accompanied by sleeplessness- Shakespeare
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
insomniac old people
insomniac nights
lay sleepless all night
twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: insomniac, watchful
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English slepeles, from Old English slǣplēas; equivalent to sleep + -less.
Across languages
Translations
45 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
yuxusuz
— absence of sleep
Belarusian:
бяссо́нны
(bjassónny)
— absence of sleep
Bulgarian:
безсънен
(bezsǎnen)
— absence of sleep
Catalan:
insomne
— absence of sleep
Czech:
bezesný
— absence of sleep
Dutch:
slapeloos
— absence of sleep
Esperanto:
sendorma
— absence of sleep
Finnish:
uneton
— absence of sleep
French:
insomniaque
— absence of sleep
Georgian:
უძილარი
(uʒilari)
— absence of sleep
Georgian:
უძინარი
(uʒinari)
— absence of sleep
Georgian:
გამოუძინებელი
(gamouʒinebeli)
— absence of sleep
Georgian:
უძილო
(uʒilo)
— absence of sleep
German:
schlaflos
— absence of sleep
Ancient Greek:
ἄγρυπνος
(ágrupnos)
— absence of sleep
Hindi:
उन्निद्र
(unnidra)
— absence of sleep
Hindi:
अनिद्रा
(anidrā)
— absence of sleep
Hungarian:
álmatlan
— absence of sleep
Ingrian:
unetoin
— absence of sleep
Japanese:
寝不足
(nebusoku)
— absence of sleep
Kazakh:
ұйқысыз
(ūiqysyz)
— absence of sleep
Kyrgyz:
уйкусуз
(uykusuz)
— absence of sleep
Latin:
insomnis
— absence of sleep
Latin:
insopor
— absence of sleep
Manx:
sheer-ghooisht
— absence of sleep
Māori:
koheko
— absence of sleep
Māori:
whakawhetū
— absence of sleep
Middle English:
sleples
— absence of sleep
Norwegian Bokmål:
søvnløs
— absence of sleep
Plautdietsch:
schloplooss
— absence of sleep
Polish:
bezsenny
— absence of sleep
Portuguese:
insone
— absence of sleep
Romanian:
nedormit
— absence of sleep
Russian:
бессо́нный
(bessónnyj)
— absence of sleep
Spanish:
sin dormir
— absence of sleep
Spanish:
de desvelo
— absence of sleep
Spanish:
desvelado
— absence of sleep
Spanish:
en vela
— absence of sleep
Swedish:
sömnlös
— absence of sleep
Tagalog:
puyat
— absence of sleep
Turkish:
uykusuz
— absence of sleep
Ottoman Turkish:
اویقوسز
(uykusuz)
— absence of sleep
Ottoman Turkish:
سهران
(sehran)
— absence of sleep
Ukrainian:
безсо́нний
(bezsónnyj)
— absence of sleep