in the arms of Morpheus

in the arms of Mor·phe·us
UK/ɪn ði ˈaːms əv ˈmɔː.fɪ.əs/UK/-ˈmɔː.fjuːs/US/ɪn ði ˈaɹms əv ˈmɔɹ.fɪ.əs/US/-ˈmɔɹˌfjus/

prepositional phrase

Asleep, sleeping.

Similar
in Morpheus' arms
OriginLatin Morpheus ← Ancient Greek Μορφεύς →
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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. figurativelyliteraryAsleep, sleeping.

    [A]s we were tired with the excitement and fatigues of the day, we were soon folded in the arms of Morpheus.

    1853, [George Ballentine], chapter XVIII, in Autobiography of an English Soldier in the United States Army. […], New York, N.Y.: Stringer & Townsend, […], →OCLC, page 202
    5 more examples

    [N]ight had covered the world with her sable curtain, and wrapped the peaceful sisterhood in the arms of Morpheus.

    1821 April 14, The Literary Gazette: or, Journal of Criticism, Science, and the Arts […], volume I, number 15, Philadelphia, Pa.: James Maxwell, […], →OCLC, page 238, column 3

    [L]ong before Julian had closed an eye, the heavy breathing from Sir Geoffrey Hudson's pallet declared that the dwarf was already in the arms of Morpheus.

    1822, [Walter Scott], chapter XII, in Peveril of the Peak. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 303

    Benjamin here fell back in his chair, and soon gave vent to certain ominous sounds, which resembled, not a little, the growling of his favourite animal, the bear itself. Before, however, he was quite locked, to use the language that would suit the Della-cruscan humour of certain refined critics of the present day, "in the arms of Morpheus," he spoke aloud, observing due pauses between his epithets, the impressive terms of "monkey," "parrot," "pic-nic," "tar pot," and "linguisters."

    1823, [James Fenimore Cooper], chapter XV, in The Pioneers, or The Sources of the Susquehanna; […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: Charles Wiley; […], →OCLC, page 221

    "I think that the travellers would do well to abandon themselves to the arms of Morpheus," said Vasili Ivanovitch. / "That means that it is time to go to bed," said Bazarof. "I approve of the proposition. Come!"

    [1867, Ivan Sergheïevitch Turgenef [i.e., Ivan Turgenev], chapter XX, in Eugene Schuyler, transl., Fathers and Sons […], New York, N.Y.: Leypoldt and Holt, →OCLC, page 144

    [T]he watcher of the corporation, […] shifted about and shuffled in his box before composing his limbs again in the arms of Morpheus.

    1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 16: Eumaeus]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC, part III [Nostos], pages 593–594

    Synonyms: in Morpheus' arms

  2. broadlyfigurativelyIn a state of being completely forgotten, or of unawareness.
    1 more example

    The [Arturo] Toscanini Tour left Italy for the United States, and the continued interest sustained by the progress of the tour brought us back to the war days when we breathlessly awaited the communiqués of offensives and counter-offensives. After which we fell back into the arms of Morpheus. The only signs of life to be found are at the Contanzi Theatre in Rome.

    [1921, Music News and Herald, London: Publishing Office, →OCLC, page 333, column 1

Synonyms & antonyms

prepositional phraseAsleep, sleeping.

Similar
in Morpheus' arms
Also see
asleepsleepboundzonked

Origin

  1. Ancient GreekΜορφεύς
  2. LatinMorpheus
  3. Englishin the arms of Morpheus

In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Morpheus is the god of dreams, and subsequently he was often referred to as the god of sleep. The name is borrowed from Latin Morpheus, from Ancient Greek Μορφεύς (Morpheús), from μορφή (morphḗ, “form, shape”) (alluding to the fact that Morpheus appeared in dreams in the forms of different people) + -εύς (-eús, suffix forming masculine nouns indicating persons concerned with particular things).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech v náruči Morfeově
  • v náruči Morfeověasleep, sleeping
Finnish Morfeuksen käsivarsilla
  • Morfeuksen käsivarsillaasleep, sleeping
French dans les bras de Morphée
  • dans les bras de Morphéeasleep, sleeping
German in Morpheus' Armen
  • in Morpheus' Armenasleep, sleeping
Polish w objęciach Morfeusza
  • w objęciach Morfeuszaasleep, sleeping
Russian в объя́тиях Морфе́я
  • в объя́тиях Морфе́я (v obʺjátijax Morféja)asleep, sleeping
Spanish en los brazos de Morfeo
  • en los brazos de Morfeoasleep, sleeping
Cite this entry
APA

in the arms of Morpheus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20arms%20of%20Morpheus

MLA

“in the arms of Morpheus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20arms%20of%20Morpheus. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in the arms of Morpheus,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20arms%20of%20Morpheus.

Source: in the arms of Morpheus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.