ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sleep rough

idiom
Meaning

Of a homeless person, to sleep outdoors, particularly as opposed to sleeping in a shelter or similar.

Origin

disputed origin

From sleep (verb) + rough (“in a rough manner, roughly”, adverb) (a reference to the uncomfortable situation of sleeping outdoors).

Examples
SIMPLE

He has nowhere to go and sleeps rough in the park.

CONTEXTUAL

The charity provides hot meals and blankets to people who are forced to sleep rough during the winter months.

COMPLEX

Despite the city's efforts to expand emergency shelter capacity, many vulnerable individuals still sleep rough in the shadows of the downtown business district.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    beauty sleep

    Originally, sleep taken before midnight, on the belief that early sleep hours conduce to beauty and health; now (chiefly humorous), sleep at any time needed by one to stay beautiful; (countable) an instance of such sleep.

  2. 02

    big sleep

    Death.

  3. 03

    cry oneself to sleep

    To cry until or to fall asleep.

  4. 04

    cut up rough

    To become angry; to make a fuss.

  5. 05

    eat, breathe, and sleep

    To devote one's time obsessively to.

  6. 06

    eternal sleep

    Death

  7. 07

    fox sleep

    Feigned sleep while actually alert.

  8. 08

    go to sleep

    To be affected by paresthesia; to go numb.

Last updated April 17, 2026