Bed — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb abbreviation /ˈbed/

Meaning & Definition of Bed

Bed (noun)

  1. a piece of furniture on or in which to lie and sleep
  2. a mattress filled with soft material
  3. bed frame, bedstead

Bed (verb)

  1. to find or make sleeping accommodations —usually used with down
  2. to go to bed —usually used with down
  3. to form a layer

Bed (abbreviation)

  1. bachelor of education
  2. binge eating disorder

Bed (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a place set aside for sleeping

    "the sofa in the living room will be your bed for the night"

    similar: bunk, doss (chiefly British), hay (slang), kip, lair (British dialect), pad, rack, sack
    related: bedstead, futon, mattress, pallet, bunk bed, cot, couch, daybed, feather bed, four-poster, hammock, Murphy bed, shakedown, sleigh bed, sofa, sofa bed, studio couch, trundle bed, water bed, bassinet, carry-cot (British), cradle, crib

  2. the surface upon which a body of water lies

    "some prospectors supposedly found gold in the bed of that mountain stream"

    similar: bottom, floor
    related: riverbed, base, basement, foundation, ground
    near: surface

  3. a natural periodic loss of consciousness during which the body restores itself

    "I always brush my teeth and floss before going to bed"

    similar: catnapping, dozing, napping, repose, rest, resting, shut-eye, sleep, slumber, slumbering, snoozing, z's
    related: catnap, doze, drowse, forty winks, nap, siesta, snooze, wink, oversleeping, dreaming, rapid eye movement
    opposite: consciousness, wake, wakefulness
    near: insomnia, sleeplessness

Bed (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to go to one's bed in order to sleep

    "the campers all bedded down for the night around 9:00 p.m."

    similar: crash (slang), doss (down) (chiefly British), retire, turn in, hit the hay
    related: bunk, perch, roost, settle, doze, drop off, nap, nod, sleep, slumber, snooze, couch, lie (down), recline
    opposite: arise, get up, rise, uprise
    near: arouse, awake, awaken, rouse, wake, waken, bestir, stir, reawake, reawaken, shift

  2. to set solidly in or as if in surrounding matter

    "a walkway of flagstones firmly bedded in the earth"

    similar: embed, enroot, entrench, fix, impact, implant, ingrain, lodge, root
    related: imbue, infuse, instill, beat (into), drive (into), establish, place, put, settle, stick
    opposite: dislodge, root (out), uproot
    near: eliminate, eradicate, eject, expel, detach, disconnect, disengage, remove

Related Entry: Bed of roses (phrase)

Bed of roses is a different word from Bed. The synonyms below are for bed of roses, not for bed.

  1. a situation or state of carefree comfort

    "Sure, working at a theme park can be fun, but the job is no bed of roses."

    similar: beer and skittles, easy street, fun and games, hog heaven, picnic, the lap of luxury, life of Riley
    related: primrose path, heaven, paradise, utopia, American dream, good life, ease, relaxation, rest
    near: agony, hell, horror, misery, murder, nightmare, torment, torture

Related Entry: Bed (down) (verb)

Bed (down) is a different word from Bed. The synonyms below are for bed (down), not for bed.

  1. as in camp (out), encamp

    similar: bivouac, camp (out), encamp, sleep out, tent, backpack, caravan

Related Entry: Bed table (noun)

Bed table is a different word from Bed. The synonyms below are for bed table, not for bed.

  1. as in card table

    similar: card table, buffet, sideboard, side table, bar, counter, coffee table, refectory table, tea table, board, table

Related Entry: Bed tables (noun)

Bed tables is a different word from Bed. The synonyms below are for bed tables, not for bed.

  1. as in card tables

    similar: card tables, buffets, sideboards, side tables, bars, counters, coffee tables, refectory tables, tea tables, boards, tables

Related Entry: Bed-and-breakfast (noun)

Bed-and-breakfast is a different word from Bed. The synonyms below are for bed-and-breakfast, not for bed.

  1. as in guesthouse, B and B

    similar: B and B, guesthouse, auberge, caravansary, hospice, hostel, hostelry, hotel, inn, lodge, public house, tavern, apartment hotel, accommodations, lodgings, rest, court, motel, motor court, motor inn, motor lodge, resort, spa, tourist court, youth hostel, camp, campground, bunkhouse, dorm, dormitory, boardinghouse, lodging house, rooming house, doss-house (chiefly British), fleabag, flophouse

Related Entry: Bed-and-breakfasts (noun)

Bed-and-breakfasts is a different word from Bed. The synonyms below are for bed-and-breakfasts, not for bed.

  1. as in guesthouses, B and Bs

    similar: B and Bs, guesthouses, auberges, caravansaries, hospices, hostelries, hostels, hotels, inns, lodges, public houses, taverns, apartment hotels, accommodations, lodgings, rests, courts, motels, motor courts, motor inns, motor lodges, resorts, spas, tourist courts, youth hostels, campgrounds, camps, bunkhouses, dormitories, dorms, boardinghouses, lodging houses, rooming houses, doss-houses (chiefly British), fleabags, flophouses

Related Entry: Bed-sitter (noun)

Bed-sitter is a different word from Bed. The synonyms below are for bed-sitter, not for bed.

  1. as in studio apartment, garden apartment

    similar: cohousing, condo, condominium, duplex, duplex apartment, efficiency, efficiency apartment, flatlet (British), floor-through, garden apartment, granny flat (chiefly British), maisonette, penthouse, railroad flat, salon, saloon (chiefly British), studio, studio apartment, triplex, walk-up, apartment, diggings (chiefly British), digs, flat (chiefly British), lodgings, suite, tenement, gallery, wing, apartment building, apartment house, tenement house

Related Entry: Bed-sitters (noun)

Bed-sitters is a different word from Bed. The synonyms below are for bed-sitters, not for bed.

  1. as in studio apartments, garden apartments

    similar: cohousings, condominiums, condos, duplex apartments, duplexes, efficiencies, efficiency apartments, flatlets (British), floor-throughs, garden apartments, granny flats (chiefly British), maisonettes, penthouses, railroad flats, salons, saloons (chiefly British), studio apartments, studios, triplexes, walk-ups, apartments, diggings (chiefly British), digs, flats (chiefly British), lodgings, suites, tenements, galleries, wings, apartment buildings, apartment houses, tenement houses

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bed

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bed:

Chiefly British: doss, doss (down)
Slang: hay, crash
British dialect: lair
bunk, kip, pad, rack, sack, bottom, floor, catnapping, dozing, napping, repose, rest, resting, shut-eye, sleep, slumber, slumbering, snoozing, z's, retire, turn in, embed, enroot, entrench, fix, impact, implant, ingrain, lodge, root, hit the hay

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bed

Words with the opposite meaning of Bed:

consciousness, wake, wakefulness, arise, get up, rise, uprise, dislodge, root (out), uproot

Related Words for Bed

bedstead, futon, mattress, pallet, bunk bed, cot, couch, daybed, feather bed, four-poster, hammock, Murphy bed, shakedown, sleigh bed, sofa, sofa bed, studio couch, trundle bed, water bed, bassinet, carry-cot, cradle, crib, riverbed, base, basement, foundation, ground, catnap, doze

Near Antonyms of Bed

surface, insomnia, sleeplessness, arouse, awake, awaken, rouse, waken, bestir, stir, reawake, reawaken, shift, eliminate, eradicate, eject, expel, detach, disconnect, disengage, remove

Word Forms of Bed

Inflections: beds, bedded, bedding

Origin & Etymology of Bed

Middle English, going back to Old English bedd "sleeping place, plot of ground prepared for plants," going back to Germanic *badja- (whence Old Frisian bed "sleeping place," Old High German betti, Old Norse beðr "bolster, bedding," Gothic badi "sleeping place"), of uncertain origin

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bed

Words & Phrases Containing Bed

bed-and-breakfast, bed check, bed frame, bed-hop, bed molding, bed of roses

Frequently Asked Questions about Bed

What does "Bed" mean?

"Bed" means a piece of furniture on or in which to lie and sleep. As an a noun, a verb and an abbreviation, it is defined as: a piece of furniture on or in which to lie and sleep. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bed"?

Other words for "Bed" include bunk, doss, hay, kip, lair, pad, rack and sack. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bed" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bed"?

There are 91 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bed". Common alternatives include bunk, doss, hay, kip, lair, pad, rack, sack, bottom and floor.

What is the opposite of "Bed"?

Antonyms of "Bed" include consciousness, wake, wakefulness, arise, get up, rise, uprise and dislodge. Near antonyms include surface, insomnia, sleeplessness and arouse.

How do you use "Bed" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bed" in a sentence: "the sofa in the living room will be your bed for the night"; "some prospectors supposedly found gold in the bed of that mountain stream"; "I always brush my teeth and floss before going to bed".

Is "Bed" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bed" can be used as a noun, a verb and an abbreviation, depending on the context.

Is "Bed" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Bed" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Bed"?

"Bed" is pronounced /ˈbed/.