sleep around
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle around
Meanings
Have casual sexual relationships with several people
Why “around”? Wandering without direction. The path loops back without ever arriving.
“He's known for sleeping around.”
“She accused him of sleeping around.”
Don't confuse with
Sleep around means have casual sexual relationships with several people. Sleep through means continue sleeping despite a noise or event.
Test yourself
“He's known for sleeping around.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
sleep through
A contrast learners often mix up
Continue sleeping despite a noise or event
dick around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Waste time doing nothing useful (informal, sometimes rude)
fool around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Behave in a silly or playful way; Have casual romantic or sexual relationships
go around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Take a longer path to avoid something; Move in a circular path; Be enough for everyone in a group; Behave in a particular way habitually; (of an illness) be common in a community
hang around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Stay nearby without a purpose; Stay in a place without doing much; Spend time with a person or group regularly
lie around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Be left unused in plain sight
lounge around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Pass time in a relaxed sprawl
mess around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Spend time in a careless or playful way; Treat someone unfairly or unreliably
Practice “sleep around” in Sink In
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