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Glite Dictionary
to catch some Z's

to catch some Z's

2 7.9
To sleep to get some rest
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : dormir
  • She decided to catch some Z's on the couch rather than staying up late.
  • gonna catch some Z's

Examples

  • But if we are wide awake instead of catching some Z's, it can increase the production of ghrelin, making us raid the fridge.

    Blog text (25)

  • After a long day at work, I can't wait to catch some Z's before tomorrow's meeting.

  • If you want to feel better, you should catch some Z's this afternoon.

Synonyms

to sleep
vsto catch some Z's
∞ 1.0

To rest with eyes closed and not be awake

is the informal expression for getting that kind of rest
to fall asleep
vsto catch some Z's
376 1.0

To start sleeping

refers to obtaining rest, not only that starting moment
to go to sleep
vsto catch some Z's
369 1.0

To stop being awake and rest with your eyes closed

refers to getting rest, not only the moment of starting it
to doze
vsto catch some Z's
43 2.3

To sleep lightly for a short time without meaning to

is the casual idiom for rest, not necessarily light or accidental
to slumber
vsto catch some Z's
15 3.8

To sleep lightly or peacefully

is an informal way to refer to rest without implying gentleness
to snooze
vsto catch some Z's
7 2.1

To sleep lightly for a short time, often during the day

is a broader informal rest, not only short daytime naps
to catnap
vsto catch some Z's
1 4.4

To sleep for a short time during the day not in bed

is an informal phrase for any rest, not limited to short naps
to catch a wink
vsto catch some Z's
1 5.5

To sleep for a short time, often during the day

is an informal expression for rest in general, not only tiny naps
to log Z's
vsto catch some Z's
  • Slang
9.7

To sleep, often for a short time

is a casual, idiomatic way to say that same rest
to kip
vsto catch some Z's
  • UK
8.1

To sleep for a short time, often on a sofa

is the broader informal expression, not limited to casual naps

Antonyms

to stay up
  • Informal
253 2.4

To be awake later than usual

How Rested

to sleep
∞ 1.0
to catch some Z's
  • Informal
2 7.9
nap
371 1.0
to doze
43 2.3

Surface Forms

catch some Z's infinitive
catching some Z's present participle
catches some Z's third person singular
caught some Z's past
caught some Z's past participle

Morphology

catch + some + Z's

The meaning 'to sleep' cannot be derived from the literal constituents: 'catch' (to grab) and 'some' (indefinite) give no hint of sleeping, and 'Z's' is a written/graphic convention (representing snoring) rather than a transparent lexical item. Recognizing the expression requires cultural or idiomatic knowledge of the 'Z'->sleep convention, so a B1 learner who only knows the words would not reliably infer the meaning.

Etymology

The idiom catch some Z's comes from cartoons that show the letter Z or several Z's above a sleeping person's head to show snoring. The idea of catching those Z's gives a clear picture of 'to sleep', so the phrase means 'to sleep' or 'get some rest'.