to sleep late
16
2.4
- phrasal verb
:
dormir hasta tarde
- I'm going to sleep late.
- sleep late this morning
- sleep late on weekends
- sleep late on Sunday
Examples
-
I slept late into the afternoon of the next day, then resumed my usual schedule.
Fiction book (2000) -
You better sleep late this morning.
-
I like to sleep late.
-
In Paris he likes to sleep late.
-
I kind of like sleeping late.
-
I'll make breakfast for you every morning, and you can sleep late.
-
In the morning, I slept late as usual.
Fiction book (2001) -
Saturday's the only day I get to sleep late.
-
He usually sleeps late.
-
On weekends, I love to sleep late and enjoy a leisurely breakfast.
Synonyms
55
3.0
To stay in bed later than usual in the morning
29
2.0
Sleep longer than you meant to and wake up late
Antonyms
How Late
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to remain asleep longer than usual' is directly derived from combining 'sleep' (be asleep) with 'late' (after the expected time); the adverb straightforwardly modifies the verb to indicate timing. This compositional pattern is common across languages (e.g. Spanish 'dormir hasta tarde', French 'dormir tard'), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Sleep late comes from the simple image of someone who sleeps until a late hour of the morning, so the sun is already high while they are still in bed. That's why it means 'to remain asleep longer than is usual or expected'.