Standard Lemma guide

slugabed

noun · 2 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈslʌɡəbɛd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈslʌɡəˌbɛd/
  • General-American: /ˈsləɡ-/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A lazy person who lies in bed after the usual time for getting up; a sluggard.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: late riser, bum, couch potato, dawdler, deadbeat, dogfucker, do-naught, do-nothing, dosser, idler, idleton, faineant, flaneur, footler, get-nothing, good-for-nothing, goldbricker, goof-off, lallygag, lollygagger, laggard, layabout, lazy ass, lazybones, lazy louse, lidderon, lie-abed, loafer, loiter-sack, lounge lizard, lounger, morepork, ne'er-do-well, poop, ragabash, shirker, skiver, slacker, slob, slow belly, slug, slugabed, slug-a-bed, slugabug, sluggabed, sluggard, sofa spud, tarrier, truant, wasteman, waster, wastrel

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a person who stays in bed until a relatively late hour

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lie-abed

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: idler, loafer, do-nothing, layabout, bum

History

Etymology

From slug (“(obsolete) to move slowly or sluggishly; to lie idle”) + abed (“in bed”).

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: dormeur — lazy person who lies in bed after the usual time for getting up
  • French: dormeuse — lazy person who lies in bed after the usual time for getting up
  • French: lève-tard — lazy person who lies in bed after the usual time for getting up
  • German: Langschläfer — lazy person who lies in bed after the usual time for getting up
  • German: Langschläferin — lazy person who lies in bed after the usual time for getting up
  • German: Spätaufsteher — lazy person who lies in bed after the usual time for getting up
  • German: Spätaufsteherin — lazy person who lies in bed after the usual time for getting up
  • Italian: dormiglione — lazy person who lies in bed after the usual time for getting up