sleep on
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
In simple words
Don't decide right now — wait until tomorrow after you've slept.
Literal meaning: To sleep on top of something — to rest while something sits beneath your thoughts.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
neutral
To wait until the next day before making a decision, so you can think about it more clearly.
"The salary offer is tempting, but I'd like to sleep on it before I give you my answer."
"Let me sleep on it."
— Common English idiom; widely documented in everyday speech and literature
Grammar: inseparable
2 A2 neutral
To literally sleep while resting on a surface or object.
"He slept on the couch because the guest room was taken."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Almost always used with decision-related nouns: 'an offer', 'a decision', 'it'. The phrase 'let me sleep on it' is extremely formulaic and common in everyday speech and business contexts.
Commonly used with
offer decision proposal idea it question
Forms
Base
sleep on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sleeps on
he/she/it
Past simple
slept on
yesterday
Past participle
slept on
have + pp
-ing form
sleeping on
continuous
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