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hibernate

[hahy-ber-neyt] / ˈhaɪ bərˌneɪt /
VERB
lie dormant; sleep through cold weather
Synonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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It’s a time to hibernate, rest and nourish yourself in preparation for the year of parties ahead.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 15, 2026

"We know they come here to mate, to hibernate, but what we don't know is why they make this journey."

From BBC Sep. 15, 2025

The mechanisms animals use to hibernate or slow their metabolism during unfavorable seasonal conditions are similar to those used by resurrecting creatures, who are just rather more extreme about it.

From Salon Apr. 20, 2025

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that, after infecting a person, tend to hibernate in the body.

From Slate Mar. 28, 2025

I can lower the Hab temperature to 1°C, and they'll nearly hibernate.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Its full life cycle remains a mystery, but it probably includes a cyst stage that hibernates on the lake bottom until it’s triggered to divide and release new cells.

From Seattle Times Jul. 21, 2023

Kay doesn't think Abersoch hibernates in the autumn and winter, but admits the school's closure would be "another stab".

From BBC Nov. 13, 2021

Ms. Charles is “holding her breath” while Pearl hibernates.

From New York Times Jan. 29, 2021

A white dwarf star gathers hydrogen from its neighbor for 100,000 years, erupts, hibernates, goes through a dwarf-nova stage — and does it all over again, possibly for a billion years.

From Washington Post Aug. 30, 2017

Come summer he gets dozy and hibernates through to autumn, and I can speak a bit better.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

The glove maker’s plant utilization rates are above 96%, excluding hibernated plants, he notes.

From The Wall Street Journal May 6, 2026

"Blue-tongued skinks hibernated under the garage and at night blue-banded and teddy-bear bees slept in the hedges under the front window," Dr Holden said.

From Science Daily Dec. 8, 2023

Aristotle thought that some birds such as swallows hibernated in the colder months and that others transformed into different species—redstarts turned into robins for the winter, he proposed.

From Scientific American Mar. 15, 2022

Without Thompson — and largely without Curry, who broke his hand and missed all but five games — Golden State hibernated through the 2019-20 season, finishing with the worst record in the league.

From New York Times Oct. 19, 2021

“I haven’t hibernated in three years. I’m ragged from it. Him too.”

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

As hibernating animals, marmots put on weight before winter.

From BBC Aug. 5, 2026

The Sleeping Giant of a football program has been hibernating for so long that no one can be certain it’s still hibernating.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 10, 2025

My default seems to be crawling into myself and hibernating with warm, soft-baked Pillsbury chocolate chip cookies with a glass of oat milk.

From Salon Feb. 1, 2025

Cook: This spicy, smoky chili is perfect after a long day skiing — or hibernating.

From New York Times Feb. 12, 2024

“I looked in on them about ten minutes ago, Father. They’re both sleeping like hibernating squirrels. It’s not likely that they’ll wake until evening.”

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques




Vocabulary lists containing hibernate


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