Dictionary

put to sleep en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Meanings

1. (transitive) To cause (someone) to sleep.
   • His boring stories sometimes put me to sleep.
   • When even the silence and seclusion of this retreat failed to bring slumber, he sometimes called in a professional mesmerizer to put him into a hypnotic sleep, from which Sawyer knew how to arouse him at a fixed time. This habit, as well as the existence of the underground chamber, were secrets known only to Sawyer and the hypnotist who rendered his services. On the night of May 30, 1887, West sent for the latter, and was put to sleep as usual. 1897, Edward Bellamy, Equality (Bellamy), Preface:
2. (transitive) To help (someone) to bed.
   • 1916, Stratemeyer Syndicate, Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue on Grandpa's Farm, Chapter XXV: Grandpa's Horses, Grandpa Brown rode off with Mr. and Mrs. Kendall; and Bunny and Sue were given a good dinner and put to sleep that afternoon, for they were tired, sleepy and hungry.
   • After they'd put the kids to sleep, they relaxed by the fire and chatted.
3. (figuratively, transitive, uncommon) To render dormant.
   • This is in accord with facts, for I can by cold put to sleep special parts of the nervous mass without putting other parts to sleep. 1872 August, Benjamin Ward Richardson, “The Physiology of Sleep”, in Popular Science Monthly, volume 1:
   • 1935, Edgar Allison Peers (translator), John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book 1, Chapter I, For there is no going forth from the pains and afflictions of the secret places of the desires until these be mortified and put to sleep.
   • Our jealousy is only put to sleep by the unlimited confidence we all repose in the person to whom we all look as our president. 1787, Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Edward Carrington:
4. (euphemistic, transitive) To kill an animal painlessly, often with an injection.
   • In one instance where a large number of dogs were put to sleep in the lethal chamber, one was found in deepest sleep, but still breathing, side by side and partly covered by another that was not only dead but cold and rigid. 1885 August, Benjamin Ward Richardson, “Measures of Vital Tenacity”, in Popular Science Monthly, volume 27:
   • It was sad to put our beloved spaniel to sleep, but it was better than letting him suffer.
   • If he were a horse, not a chancellor, Scholz would be humanely put to sleep. 2024 May 4, Simon Tisdall, “Giorgia Meloni and Ursula von der Leyen, the double act that is steering the EU ever rightwards”, in The Observer, →ISSN:
   • Near-synonym: put to bed with a shovel (cynical tone)
5. (informal) To give a general anesthetic prior to surgery.
   • Mommy's surgery is not a big operation but it does require that they put her to sleep for a while.

Forms

Synonyms

put to bed · put to bed with a shovel · put to bed · put under · anesthetize · put down · put down · euthanize · put to rest · anaesthetise

Translations (66)

gl adurmiñar (to cause someone to sleep) · nb avlive (to kill an animal) · de einschläfern (to kill an animal) · ru усыпи́ть (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · hu elaltat (to cause someone to sleep) · gl adormentar (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · ru усыпля́ть (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · ar أَنَامَ (to cause someone to sleep) · hu altat (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · fi nukuttaa (to cause someone to sleep) · pl uśpić (to render dormant) · pl usypiać (to kill an animal) · nb få til å sove (to cause someone to sleep) · wa edoirmi (to cause someone to sleep) · zdj umaza (to cause someone to sleep) · it anestetizzare (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · pl uśpić (to kill an animal) · it mandare al mattatoio (to kill an animal) · izh nukuttaa (to cause someone to sleep) · is lóga (to kill an animal) · it addormentare (to cause someone to sleep) · pl usypiać (to cause someone to sleep) · is aflífa (to kill an animal) · izh makoittaa (to cause someone to sleep) · grc κοιμίζω (to cause someone to sleep) · es adormecer (to cause someone to sleep) · ja 眠らせる (to kill an animal) · cs uspat (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · nb legge (to cause someone to sleep) · de einlullen (to cause someone to sleep) · hu elaltat (to render dormant) · hu elaltat (to kill an animal) · ny gonetsa (to cause someone to sleep) · ja 眠らせる (to cause someone to sleep) · ar نَوَّمَ (to cause someone to sleep) · is svæfa (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · mi whakaturamoe (to cause someone to sleep) · fr endormir (to cause someone to sleep) · fi lopettaa (to kill an animal) · sv få att somna (to cause someone to sleep) · ta துயிற்று (to cause someone to sleep) · ta உறக்கு (to cause someone to sleep) · cs uspat (to cause someone to sleep) · tr uyutmak (to cause someone to sleep) · is svæfa dýr (to kill an animal) · is svæfa (to kill an animal) · fi taltuttaa (to render dormant) · pl uśpić (to cause someone to sleep) · de einschläfern (to cause someone to sleep) · tr uyutmak (to kill an animal) · sv söva (to cause someone to sleep) · ru усыпля́ть (to kill an animal) · ary نعس (to cause someone to sleep) · pl usypiać (to render dormant) · cs uspávat (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · it addormentare (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · pl usypiać (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · pl uśpić (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · ru усыпи́ть (to kill an animal) · ta தூங்கவை (to cause someone to sleep) · fi nukuttaa (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · gl adormentar (to cause someone to sleep) · el κοιμίζω (to give a general anesthetic prior to surgery) · cs uspávat (to cause someone to sleep) · el κοιμίζω (to cause someone to sleep) · sa स्वापयति (to cause someone to sleep)