Words / B1

LY-in/ˈlaɪ ɪn/

A lie-in (id: lie-in) is extra time in bed in the morning (UK noun): have a lie-in; a Sunday lie-in. US English prefers the verb sleep in (I slept in). It is not lie down (recline at any time) and not a sleepover (a night at someone else’s house). The word is hyphenated and countable.

Meaning

A morning spent staying in bed later than usual (UK).

Examples

• “I am having a lie-in on Saturday because I do not work.”
• “The builders start at eight, so a lie-in is impossible this week.”
• “After the night shift she needed a proper lie-in, not just ten extra minutes.”

Good to know

a lie-in (UK noun). US: to sleep in. Contrast: a sleepover / to lie down. Hyphenated.

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