1 B1 informal
To lie down and prepare to sleep, often in a temporary or improvised place.
"The hikers bedded down in the barn because the weather was too bad to pitch a tent."
inseparable
bed down
B2 informal inseparable transitive/intransitive
To settle somewhere to sleep, especially in a temporary or improvised place; or for a process or system to become established.
In plain English
To find a place to sleep, or to get comfortable and start sleeping — often somewhere unusual.
What does "bed down" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
Of animals: to settle into a resting place, especially when provided with straw or bedding.
"The farmer made sure all the horses were bedded down before he locked the stable."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
Of a system, policy, or process: to become settled, established, and functioning smoothly after a period of change.
"Once the new software beds down, we expect productivity to improve significantly."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To lie down in a bed or prepared sleeping area.
Actually means
To find a place to sleep, or to get comfortable and start sleeping — often somewhere unusual.
Usage tip
In everyday speech, it usually refers to sleeping in a temporary location. In British business English, 'bed down' can mean a process is becoming stable and normalised after a period of change.
Words that pair with "bed down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
refugees animals soldiers policy reforms straw
How to conjugate "bed down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bed down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
beds down
he/she/it
Past simple
beded down
yesterday
Past participle
beded down
have + pp
-ing form
beding down
continuous
Hear "bed down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "bed down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.