snooze

Use the word "snooze" when someone takes a nap or sleeps. This word can also be used when someone isn’t paying attention.

• Maria was caught snoozing at her desk. (This sentence is in the past tense, passive voice.)
• I took a quick snooze in the afternoon. (This sentence is in the past tense.)
• Someone is taking a snooze in the park. (This sentence is in the present continuous tense.)
• Half of the people at the meeting were snoozing because it was so boring. (This means that they weren’t paying attention.)
• If you snooze, you lose. (This is a common expression in the U.S. It means that if you don’t pay attention, you will lose some benefit.)
• Don hit the snooze button on his alarm and continued to sleep. (The snooze button allows a person to sleep longer after the alarm goes off.)
• That movie was a real snoozer. (snoozer = boring)

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Published March 28, 2012