Besleep

verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To sleep; have a sleep; sleep with. ambitransitive, archaic, reflexive

    "Others are going about our streets, like well-meaning but beslept watchmen, calling the hours of midnight, while the morning is paling their lanterns."

Example

More examples

"Others are going about our streets, like well-meaning but beslept watchmen, calling the hours of midnight, while the morning is paling their lanterns."

Etymology

From Middle English beslepen, from Old English beslǣpan (“to sleep, sleep through, sleep over”), equivalent to be- + sleep. Compare West Frisian besliepe (“to sleep with”), Dutch beslapen (“to sleep with”), German beschlafen (“to lay with”).

More for "besleep"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Editorial Guides For "besleep"

Say vs Tell vs Speak vs Talk: Clear Usage Patterns

Use communication verbs correctly with practical examples and grammar patterns.

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.