NAPPING Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

napping 1 of 3

adjective

as in sleeping

being in a state of suspended consciousness the napping children looked so peaceful

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napping

2 of 3

noun

as in sleep

a natural periodic loss of consciousness during which the body restores itself some people think that napping in the afternoon will keep you from sleeping well at night

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napping

3 of 3

verb

present participle of nap

as in resting

to sleep lightly or briefly decided to let the kids nap for a few more minutes before waking them

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as in dozing

to be in a state of sleep I'm just going to nap the entire afternoon

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of napping

Noun

By nine-thirty, people were stretched out on the soft grass, napping, reading, and revelling in the previous night’s victory. — Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 When temperatures eventually dip, Shah likes keeping an extra blanket in the car—a place where many babies do their best napping, much to their parents’ delight. — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 4 Aug. 2026 Any signs of enthusiasm for the meal created suspicions of cook-napping. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 27 July 2026 Our agenda includes promenading with the official mascots, catching up on our napping, and looking in on the Pharmalot ancestor. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 2 July 2026 My 5-year-old corgi, Luna, is a dedicated burrower—any blanket, pillow or soft corner in the house quickly becomes her personal napping spot. — Jessica Moore, USA Today, 27 June 2026 The findings don’t mean long naps cause liver disease, but that napping might indicate that poor sleep, insulin resistance, or sleep apnea needs attention. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 15 June 2026 Morning naps were linked to about a 30% increase in mortality risk, and each additional hour of daily napping was associated with about a 13% higher risk, the study found. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026 In two separate selfies, the singer and actress cuddled with Emerson, while another snapshot depicted the newborn napping in her car seat. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 13 Apr. 2026

Verb

Not long thereafter he was struck up to 11 times while napping. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026 There are five sculptures, one for each of de Monteflores’s children; and Fraser herself was a toddler when the paintings on view were made, likely napping, her mother has said, while the work took shape. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026 The data showed that sperm whales napping near the surface blew bubbles 11 times on average during their naps, compared to three or four times by those whales making a slow ascent. — ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026 There was nothing comfier, or more quintessentially childhood-coded, than wrapping myself in a patchwork throw and napping the entire five-and-a-half-hour drive to the family vacation home in Vermont. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2026 Primates napping next to another animal or playing with them offers no readily apparent rewards—suggesting that this innate curiosity and friendliness is more deeply ingrained in humanity’s evolutionary journey. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 July 2026 Kayaking, paddleboarding, and other aquatic sports are also available, though sun-seekers will be perfectly content lounging, reading, and napping with the property’s flat-as-glass horizon as the background. — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2026 In 2023, he was found napping across a Hobart driveway for hours, blocking a local woman from getting to work, and was relocated after people and dogs began harassing him at another beach. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Kids in pre-K-3 are still napping for the most part, and how does that work with alarm bells going off for the high school students to transfer classrooms? — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for napping

Adjective

An autopsy showed that the infant died from asphyxiation secondary to a co-sleeping/overlay event with an unsafe sleeping environment.

— Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026

Definition of sleeping

Noun

Even during the rut, Infalt shoots most of his mature bucks in the thick stuff near where deer sleep.

— Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
Afternoon or evening exercise can improve strength, reduce stress, and lower injury risk, but intense sessions could disrupt sleep.

— Health Editorial Team, HEALTH, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of sleep

Verb

The increasing chances of being taken, whether one is in a church, mosque, school, on a trip to the capital Abuja or resting at home, is a grim reality that should not be the case given Tinubu’s firm campaign pledges.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
And then there were polar bears again, this time resting quietly in the hills.

— Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of resting

Verb

At a little under two feet, the can’t-miss fixture spreads a warm light that creates a welcoming atmosphere for reading, relaxing, or sharing drinks without harsh overhead lighting or a spindly, corner-lurking, fluorescent presence.

— Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2026
Julie Huntsinger has spent two decades as the guardian of the Telluride Film Festival — a jewel box of off-duty movie stars and power players relaxing in the mountains and a consequential launchpad for the fall awards season.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of relaxing

Noun

Whereas Clara’s journey is one into slumber, inaction, passivity, and perpetuating the system.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
Fall is almost here, which means my flip-flops and sandals are seeing their final days of 2026, and my boots and sneakers are waking up from a long slumber.

— Annie Blackman, InStyle, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of slumber

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nappies

napping

nappy

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“Napping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/napping. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of napping

adjective

noun

verb

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