doze

D2O1Z10E1
/doʊz/

verb

To sleep lightly or briefly; to nap, snooze.

“I felt much better after a short doze.”

Similar
nodsleepdrowsesnooze
OriginMiddle English *dosen ← Old Norse dúsa ← Proto-Germanic *dusāną →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

doze1

verbdoze (third-person singular simple present dozes, present participle dozing, simple past and past participle dozed)

present singular third person dozes · participle present dozing · participle past dozed · past dozed · alternative archaic dose

  1. intransitiveTo sleep lightly or briefly; to nap, snooze.

    I didn’t sleep very well, but I think I may have dozed a bit.

    2 more examples

    If he Happen'd to Doze a little no and then in a Morning, the Jolly Cobbler Wak'd him.

    1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC

    She dozes, too. Lies there for a minute or two, all these thoughts going through her head.

    1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 357

    Synonyms: nod

  2. transitiveTo make dull; to stupefy.

    October 29, 1693, Robert South, a sermon preached at Christ-church in Oxford before the university They left for a long time (as it were) dozed and benumbed.

    1 more example

    I was an hour […] in casting up about twenty sums, being dozed with much work.

    1666, Samuel Pepys, diary dated 13 October, 1666
noundoze (plural dozes)

plural dozes · alternative archaic dose

  1. A light, short sleep or nap.

    I felt much better after a short doze.

    2 more examples

    Others who conscientiously attended the Technical College at night often drooped over their desks in a doze, and one does not wonder at it.

    1944 September and October, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—I”, in Railway Magazine, page 285

    At the mention of money Mrs Dibble was overcome with great debility, and wheezed, "I don't feel up to talking about money, matters just now, dearie. I think I better have a bit of a doze."

    1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 43

    Synonyms: sleep

doze2

verbdoze (third-person singular simple present dozes, present participle dozing, simple past and past participle dozed)

present singular third person dozes · participle present dozing · participle past dozed · past dozed

  1. intransitiveslangTo bulldoze.

doze3

determiner
  1. pronunciation spellingPronunciation spelling of those.
    1 more example

    Donald Duck: I'll give you $20 for those old license plates on your fence posts! Other man: Hah? No chance! I bought dis house 'cause it has dis address! It's me lucky number! […] It was me prison number at Leavenworst and de winning number in de weekly parole lottery! I wudn't never sell doze plates!

    1987, Don Rosa, Recalled Wreck

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo sleep lightly or briefly; to nap, snooze.

Similar
nod

nounA light, short sleep or nap.

Similar
sleep

More synonyms by meaning

nouna light fitful sleep

Similar
drowse
Broader
sleeping

verbsleep lightly or for a short period of time

Similar
snoozedrowse
Broader
napcatnapcatch a wink
Also see
catch some z'scrashdrowsenapsleepsnooze

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

doze · verb, noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dʰews-“to fly, whirl”
  2. Proto-Germanic*dusāną“to be dizzy”
  3. Old Norsedúsa“to doze, rest, remain quiet”
  4. Middle English*dosen
  5. Englishdoze

From Middle English *dosen, from Old Norse dúsa (“to doze, rest, remain quiet”), from Proto-Germanic *dusāną (“to be dizzy”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰews- (“to fly, whirl”), from *dʰew- (“to fly, shake, reek, steam, smolder”). Cognate with Old Frisian dusia (“to be dizzy”), German Low German dösen (“to doze”), German dösen (“to doze”), Danish døse (“to doze”), dialectal Swedish dusa (“to doze, slumber”), Icelandic dúsa (“to doze”), Old English dysiġ (“foolish, stupid”), Scots dosnit (“stunned, stupefied”), Icelandic dúra (“to nap, slumber”), also compare Dutch doezelen (“to doze”). More at dizzy.

More words from Middle English, Old Norse, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

doze · verb

Clipping of bulldoze.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek νυστάζω
  • νυστάζω (nustázō)to sleep lightly or briefly
Bulgarian дремя, дрямка
  • дремя (dremja)to sleep lightly or briefly
  • дрямка (drjamka)short sleep or nap
Catalan endormiscar-se, abaltir-se
  • endormiscar-seto sleep lightly or briefly
  • abaltir-seto sleep lightly or briefly
  • adormissar-seto sleep lightly or briefly
  • becainashort sleep or nap
  • capcinadashort sleep or nap
Czech dřímat
  • dřímatto sleep lightly or briefly
Dutch dommelen
  • dommelento sleep lightly or briefly
Esperanto dormeti
  • dormetito sleep lightly or briefly
Finnish torkkua, nuokkua
  • torkkuato sleep lightly or briefly
  • nuokkuato sleep lightly or briefly
  • torkahtaato sleep lightly or briefly
  • typerryttääto make dull; to stupefy
  • torkutshort sleep or nap
  • unetshort sleep or nap
French somnoler
  • somnolerto sleep lightly or briefly
German dösen
  • dösento sleep lightly or briefly
Greek νυστάζω
  • νυστάζω (nystázo)to sleep lightly or briefly
Hebrew נִמְנֵם
  • נִמְנֵם (nimném)to sleep lightly or briefly
Italian sonnecchiare, dormicchiare
  • sonnecchiareto sleep lightly or briefly
  • dormicchiareto sleep lightly or briefly
Latin dormītō
  • dormītōto sleep lightly or briefly
Māori turehu, kānewha
  • turehuto sleep lightly or briefly
  • kānewhato sleep lightly or briefly
  • kānewhanewhato sleep lightly or briefly
  • hāmoemoeto sleep lightly or briefly
  • newhato sleep lightly or briefly
  • nenewhato sleep lightly or briefly
  • kurehuto sleep lightly or briefly
Polish drzemać, podrzemać
  • drzemaćto sleep lightly or briefly
  • podrzemaćto sleep lightly or briefly
Portuguese cochilar, tirar soneca (uma)
  • cochilarto sleep lightly or briefly
  • tirar soneca (uma)to sleep lightly or briefly
  • sonecashort sleep or nap
  • cochiloshort sleep or nap
Romanian dormita, ațipi
  • dormitato sleep lightly or briefly
  • ațipito sleep lightly or briefly
  • moțăito sleep lightly or briefly
Russian дрема́ть, прикорну́ть
  • дрема́ть (dremátʹ)to sleep lightly or briefly
  • прикорну́ть (prikornútʹ)to sleep lightly or briefly
  • подрема́ть (podremátʹ)to sleep lightly or briefly
  • задремать (zadrematʹ)to sleep lightly or briefly
  • грезить (grezitʹ)to sleep lightly or briefly
  • дрёма (drjóma)short sleep or nap
  • грёза (grjóza)short sleep or nap
Scottish Gaelic dèan dùsal, dùsal
  • dèan dùsalto sleep lightly or briefly
  • dùsalshort sleep or nap
Slovak driemať
  • driemaťto sleep lightly or briefly
Spanish dormitar, cabecear
  • dormitarto sleep lightly or briefly
  • cabecearto sleep lightly or briefly
Swedish slumra, dåsa
  • slumrato sleep lightly or briefly
  • dåsato sleep lightly or briefly
Ukrainian дріма́ти
  • дріма́ти (drimáty)to sleep lightly or briefly
Vietnamese ngủ gật
  • ngủ gậtto sleep lightly or briefly

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with doze

closegoesosrosefollowsclothesknowsJosedosnosechosehoseproposediscloseposeimposefellowsopposeexposeprosebosecomposedisposeenclose
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

doesdosdoughsdoesdosdoughsdoesdosdoughsdoesdosdoughs
Cite this entry
APA

doze. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/doze

MLA

“doze.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/doze. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “doze,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/doze.

Source: doze on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.