Standard Lemma guide

snooze

noun · 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

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: /snuːz/
  • British, Southern, Standard: /snʉwz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /snuz/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /snʉːz/
  • Northern-Ireland, Scotland: /snʉz/
  • rhymes with -uːz
  • CMU ARPABET: S N UW1 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A brief period of sleep; a nap.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The cat enjoys taking a snooze on a sunny windowsill.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bed booger(s), crusty, eye booger(s), eye bogie(s), eye crust, eye goop, eye gunk, eye sand, eye snot, gound, sleeper, sleepies, sleepy, sleepy booger(s), sleepy dust, sleepy sand

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The snooze button on an alarm clock.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Something boring.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • The whole movie was a snooze.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To sleep, especially briefly; to nap, doze.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The boss caught him snoozing at his desk.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To pause; to postpone for a short while.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nap, catnap, cat sleep, forty winks, short sleep

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sleeping

Narrower terms: siesta, zizz

7

verb

Meaning 7

sleep lightly or for a short period of time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: drowse, doze

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: nap, catnap, catch a wink

History

Etymology

Unknown, attested since 18th century. Compare Dutch snoezelen (“to snooze”) or Swedish snusa (“to snore lightly”). Compare also Ancient Greek νυστάζω (nustázō, “to doze, drowse”) and Russian сон (son, “sleep, dream”).

Across languages

Translations

79 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: غَفْوَة (ḡafwa) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Bulgarian: дрямка (drjamka) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Catalan: becaina — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Catalan: becada — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Catalan: capcinada — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Catalan: migdiada — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Chinese Mandarin: 小睡 (xiǎoshuì) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Finnish: torkut — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Finnish: nokoset — A period of sleep; a nap
  • French: roupillon — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Georgian: ხანმოკლე ძილი (xanmoḳle ʒili) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • German: Schläfchen — A period of sleep; a nap
  • German: Nickerchen — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Greek: υπνάκος (ypnákos) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Japanese: 居眠り (inemuri) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Japanese: うたた寝 (utatane) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Persian: چرت (čort) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Polish: drzemka — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Portuguese: cochilo — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Portuguese: sesta — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Russian: коро́ткий сон (korótkij son) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Russian: лёгкий сон (ljóxkij son) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Russian: дрёма (drjóma) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Russian: дремо́та (dremóta) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Scottish Gaelic: dùsal — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Scottish Gaelic: norrag — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Spanish: siesta — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Swedish: tupplur — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Ottoman Turkish: اویقو (uyku) — A period of sleep; a nap
  • Finnish: unettava — Something boring
  • Spanish: lata — Something boring
  • Spanish: fastidio — Something boring
  • Arabic: غَفَا (ḡafā) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Bulgarian: дремя (dremja) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Catalan: dormitar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Catalan: dormitejar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Chinese Mandarin: 打盹 (dǎdǔn) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Dutch: doezelen — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Finnish: torkkua — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Finnish: torkahtaa — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • French: faire une sieste — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • French: faire un somme — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • French: piquer un roupillon — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Galician: durmiñar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Galician: tutar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Galician: sonetar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Galician: moquear — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Galician: trasvaiar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Galician: dormentar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Galician: dormexar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Galician: cochar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Galician: topenear — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Georgian: წაუძინებს (c̣auʒinebs) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Georgian: თვლემს (tvlems) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • German: dösen — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • German: nicken — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • German: ein Nickerchen machen — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Greek: λαγοκοιμάμαι (lagokoimámai) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Greek: παίρνω έναν υπνάκο (paírno énan ypnáko) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Hungarian: durmol — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Hungarian: szunyál — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Japanese: 居眠り (inemuri suru) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Māori: hāmoemoe — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Māori: kānewha — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Māori: kānewhanewha — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Māori: newha — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Māori: nenewha — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Polish: zdrzemnąć się — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Portuguese: cochilar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Portuguese: dormitar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Romanian: dormita — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Romanian: ațipi — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Russian: дрема́ть (dremátʹ) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Russian: вздремну́ть (vzdremnútʹ) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Russian: подрема́ть (podremátʹ) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Russian: прикорну́ть (prikornútʹ) — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Scottish Gaelic: dèan dùsal — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Spanish: dormitar — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap
  • Swedish: ta en tupplur — To sleep, especially briefly; to nap