Sleep in meaning
Sleep in means to sleep later in the morning than you usually do.
sleep in
sleep in · slept · sleeping
I love to sleep in on Sunday mornings.
Sleep in meanings and examples
One meaning, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Sleep later in the morning than you usually do
sleep in
- I love to sleep in on Sunday mornings.
- Sorry I’m late. I slept in.
- Can we sleep in tomorrow? There’s no school.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use sleep in in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is sleep in separable?
Sleep in has no object: I slept in. You cannot sleep in something in this meaning; sleep in a bed or in a tent is just sleep plus in.
UK speakers also say have a lie-in for the same idea. A sleep-in is usually happy and planned; if it is a mistake, oversleep is more exact.
Verb tenses for sleep in
| Present | I sleep in · she sleeps in |
|---|---|
| Past | slept in |
| Present perfect | have slept in |
| -ing form | sleeping in |
Common mistakes with sleep in
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I sleeped in on Saturday.
Right: I slept in on Saturday.
The past of sleep is slept.
Wrong: I slept in my alarm and missed the train.
Right: I slept through my alarm and missed the train.
Sleep through means not wake up when there is a noise.
Wrong: Let’s sleep in late until noon.
Right: Let’s sleep in until noon.
Sleep in already means sleep late, so late is not needed.
Synonyms and opposites of sleep in
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- oversleepsleep too long by mistake and be late
- have a lie-inUK; stay in bed later than usual
- lie inUK; stay in bed late, maybe awake
Sleep in quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1It’s a holiday tomorrow, so I’m going to ___.
Sleep in means sleep later than usual.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The past is slept, and sleep in has no object.
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3Your friend texts: “Sorry, I slept in! Be there in 20 minutes.” What happened?
If you slept in, you woke up later than you planned.
Find your level
The phrasal verbs test adapts as you answer, from A2 to C1, and shows which ones you miss.
- get inA2enter a car, a taxi, a building or a small space
- take inB2let a person or an animal live in your home
- put inA2put something inside a container, a machine or a drink
- go inA2enter a room or a building
- come inA2enter a room or building, towards the speaker
- give inB1finally agree to something after refusing
- break inB2get into a building by force, usually to steal things
- bring inB2start using a new law, rule or system
Sleep in FAQ
Questions people ask about sleep in.
Sleep in vs oversleep: what is the difference?
Sleep in is often happy and planned: We slept in on Sunday. Oversleep is always a mistake: I overslept and missed my flight.
Sleep in vs sleep over: what is the difference?
Sleep in means sleep late. Sleep over means stay the night at someone else’s home: Can I sleep over at Mia’s?
What is a lie-in?
A lie-in is UK English for a morning when you stay in bed later than usual. I had a lovely lie-in this morning.
Use sleep in in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.