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nap

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To have a nap.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

nap
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈnæp

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. To have a nap; to sleep for a short period of time, especially during the day.

  2. figuratively

    To be off one's guard.

  3. To form or raise a soft or fuzzy surface on (fabric or leather).

noun

  1. Sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed)

  2. A short period of sleep, especially one during the day.

  3. A soft or fuzzy surface texture

  4. A soft or fuzzy surface, generally on fabric or leather.

  5. The common direction, on some kinds of fabric, of the hairs making up the pile.

  6. A card game similar to whist; usually played for stakes

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To have a nap; to sleep for a short period of time, especially during the day.

Used this way, nap is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Nearby words

  • catnap , rarer, so it draws attention

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use nap

  • “She naps everyday after lunch for an hour.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Nap / sleeping

nap beforenap aftermorning naphour nap

Other combinations

afternoon napquick napbrief nap

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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

verb

Sense: to have a nap

catnapRaresleepsnooze

noun

Sense: sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed)

snoozeforty winksRare

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.