sleeping sickness

[slee-ping sik-nis] / ˈsli pɪŋ ˌsɪk nɪs /

NOUN

type of encephalitis

Synonyms

WEAK

catalepsy encephalitis encephalitis lethargica narcolepsy trypanosomiasis

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.

It has been used to treat West African sleeping sickness, a chronic illness spread by the tsetse fly.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026

By contrast, something like sleeping sickness is spread through a fly, the tsetse fly.

From Salon • May 8, 2025

With Death’s capture, millions are suddenly affected by a strange sleeping sickness: either unable to sleep or basically in a coma.

From The Verge • Aug. 5, 2022

It turns out that the variants rose to a high frequency among people in sub-Saharan Africa because they offer powerful protection against deadly African sleeping sickness, a disease caused by trypanosomes.

From New York Times • May 17, 2022

“Oh, true! That he didn’t die fifteen years ago of typhus or sleeping sickness or malaria or the combination. I’m sure his hygiene went to hell after Mother left him.”

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver