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Glite Dictionary
to cause to sleep

to cause to sleep

3.9
To make someone fall asleep
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : hacer dormir
  • Certain medications are known to cause to sleep as a side effect.

Examples

  • The lullaby managed to cause to sleep the entire nursery full of children.

  • The gentle rocking can cause to sleep even the fussiest baby.

  • The gentle rocking of the boat would cause to sleep even the most restless traveler.

  • The soothing music can cause to sleep quickly.

  • The gentle hum of the fan can cause to sleep anyone who is tired.

  • After reading a few pages of the book, she began to cause to sleep comfortably on the couch.

  • The warm tea can cause to sleep an anxious mind and help you relax.

Synonyms

to put to sleep
vsto cause to sleep
  • Baby Talk
15 2.5

Help a child or baby fall asleep in bed

induces sleep in any person without focusing on bedtime routines

Antonyms

to awaken
73 1.8

To stop sleeping or make someone else wake up

to keep up
24 3.0

To stop someone from sleeping by making them stay awake

How Sleep-Inducing

to sedate
  • Specialized
95 6.8
to cause to sleep
3.9
to lull
19 5.2
to relax
∞ 1.0
to calm
962 1.0

Surface Forms

cause to sleep infinitive
caused to sleep past
caused to sleep past participle
causing to sleep present participle
causes to sleep third person singular

Morphology

cause + to + sleep

The meaning 'to make someone fall asleep' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'cause' (to make something happen) with the verb 'sleep' via the infinitival marker 'to'—i.e. to cause (someone) to sleep = to make someone sleep. This compositional pattern is predictable and common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand the expression.

Etymology

Cause to sleep comes from the clear image of giving something, like a lullaby or a gentle medicine, that causes a person to sleep. So, the phrase means 'to make someone fall asleep'.