# sleep a wink

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sleep-a-wink
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To sleep at all.

## Examples

- I did not sleep a wink last night.
- The loud music from the party next door meant I did not sleep a wink all night.
- Disturbed by the relentless anxiety of the impending deadline, he tossed and turned until dawn, unable to sleep a wink.

## Origin

From Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" Act III Scene IV.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.