slept through

USAGE SUMMARY

"slept through" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to express when someone has slept through an event or period of time, with or without interruption. Example: He slept through the whole movie and he had no idea what happened.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

We'd slept through dinner.

The New Yorker

He slept through the dogs.

The New Yorker

They slept through the dogs.

The New Yorker

"I slept through most of it.

The New Yorker

Could they have slept through the gunfire?

Independent

"I rarely slept through the night".

The New York Times - Magazine

Before cancer, I slept through the night.

The New York Times

(Somehow, I slept through the first one).

The New Yorker

He never slept through the night.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

Sleeping through the night?

The New York Times - Travel

I sleep through most nights.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "slept through", ensure the context clearly indicates what event or period was missed due to sleep. For example, "He slept through the entire concert" is more informative than "He slept through it."

Common error

Avoid using "slept through" when you mean someone was simply negligent or inattentive, not literally asleep. "The administrators slept through the warning signs" is acceptable, but ensure it's clear they were negligent and not literally asleep during the alarms.

Linguistic Context

The phrasal verb "slept through" primarily functions as a verb phrase indicating that someone missed an event or period because they were asleep. Ludwig confirms that the phrase is used correctly in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

98%

Formal & Business

1%

Science

1%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrasal verb "slept through" is a common and correct way to express that someone missed something because they were asleep. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is readily usable in written English. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, it serves to clearly communicate a lack of awareness or participation due to sleep. When using it, be sure to provide sufficient context as it has several alternative sentences like "missed entirely" or "was asleep during" for different use cases.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was asleep during

Directly states the state of being asleep during a specific time.

dozed off during

Similar to sleeping but implies a lighter sleep.

completely missed

Highlights the total absence of participation or awareness.

was out cold for

Implies a deep, heavy sleep or unconsciousness.

missed entirely

Emphasizes the complete failure to experience or notice something.

was oblivious to

Highlights a lack of awareness rather than specifically sleeping.

remained unaware of

Focuses on the absence of knowledge about an event.

failed to notice

Stresses the lack of attention to something happening.

unbeknownst to

Focuses on the state of not knowing something, regardless of the reason.

lost consciousness during

Suggests a more profound state of unawareness than simply sleeping.

FAQs

How can I use "slept through" in a sentence?

You can use "slept through" to indicate that someone missed an event or activity because they were asleep. For example, "I "slept through" my alarm and was late for work".

What's the difference between ""slept through"" and "missed"?

"Slept through" specifically implies that sleep was the reason for missing something, while "missed" is more general and can encompass various reasons such as forgetfulness or being occupied with something else.

What can I say instead of ""slept through"" to indicate a lack of awareness?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "remained unaware of", "failed to notice", or "was oblivious to" if the lack of awareness wasn't necessarily due to sleep.

Is it correct to say ""slept through"" when referring to something other than a specific event?

Yes, you can use ""slept through"" to describe missing a period or era, implying a lack of engagement or awareness during that time. For instance, "She'd "slept through" the recession, the boom, and she was sleeping through the new recession."