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sleep out

B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
In simple words

Sleep somewhere that isn't your normal bed — often outside.

Literal meaning: To sleep outside — transparent compound meaning.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

To sleep outdoors or in the open air.

"The kids wanted to sleep out in the garden on the last warm night of summer."

Grammar: inseparable
2 B2 neutral

To sleep away from one's home or usual accommodation.

"The nanny slept out — she went back to her own flat every evening."

Grammar: inseparable
3 B2 neutral

To participate in a sponsored outdoor sleeping event, typically to raise money for homelessness charities.

"Hundreds of volunteers slept out in the city centre to raise funds for the homeless shelter."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Can refer to sleeping outdoors (e.g. camping or rough sleeping) or simply to sleeping away from one's usual home. In some British contexts it can also mean a live-in worker who sleeps off the premises. Also used in the context of charity events where participants sleep outside to raise awareness for homelessness.

Commonly used with

garden tent street night rough charity

Forms

Base
sleep out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sleeps out
he/she/it
Past simple
slept out
yesterday
Past participle
slept out
have + pp
-ing form
sleeping out
continuous

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