hibernate

hibernate — verb

1. When animals hibernate, they enter a deep, prolonged rest throughout the winter

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

When animals hibernate, they enter a deep, prolonged rest throughout the winter season, during which their body functions slow down greatly to preserve energy.

Example

Minh learnt that bears hibernate in caves during the coldest months.

hibernate + in [location]

Hedgehogs hibernate under piles of leaves to stay warm through winter.

hibernate under [protective covering]

Common collocations
  • hibernate in caves / dens
  • hibernate through winter
  • hibernate under leaves / mud / snow
  • hibernate during cold weather
Synonyms
  • overwinter

    More technical; focuses on surviving winter rather than the method of inactivity

  • brumate

    Specific to reptiles and amphibians; describes cold-weather dormancy with different physiology

Antonyms
  • awaken

    To come out of hibernation

Grammar Patterns

hibernate + in/under/through [location/time]

Usage Note

Subject is always an animal. Not used for human sleep, even in casual contexts. Common hibernating animals include bears, hedgehogs, bats, ground squirrels, frogs, and some reptiles.

Common Mistakes

I hibernated all weekend after the exam.
I slept all weekend after the exam.
hibernate is only used for the winter sleep of animals, not for people taking a long rest.

2. to stay completely inactive for a period of time, especially when waiting for be

2.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to stay completely inactive for a period of time, especially when waiting for better conditions before starting again.

Example

To save battery, the laptop automatically hibernates after thirty minutes of inactivity.

hibernate (computer: power-saving mode)

The hospital's expansion plan had to hibernate because of budget cuts.

Common collocations
  • force to hibernate
  • hibernate indefinitely
  • hibernate temporarily
  • hibernate until conditions improve
Synonyms
  • lie dormant

    Describes the state rather than the process; suggests longer or more indefinite inactivity

  • pause

    Less specific about the length or depth of the break; can be very short

  • go into abeyance

    More formal; used for legal matters, rules, or official processes set aside temporarily

Antonyms
  • revive

    To bring back into activity after a period of hibernation

  • resume

    To start again after a pause

Grammar Patterns

hibernate + (for [duration])

force + object + to hibernate

hibernate + (until [condition])

Usage Note

Often used figuratively in technology (computers entering power-saving mode), business (projects or plans put on hold), and medicine (viruses remaining latent in the body). Unlike sense 1, the subject can be a non-living thing or abstract entity. Frequently followed by an adverbial of time or place.

Common Mistakes

The factory was closed permanently because of the crisis.
The factory was forced to hibernate until the economy improved.
hibernate implies a temporary pause and the possibility of resuming, not a permanent closure.
The project was sleeping for six months.
The project hibernated for six months.
sleep is for living beings; hibernate works figuratively for projects or systems.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Hibernate refers specifically to the deep, prolonged winter rest of certain animals, during which body temperature and heart rate drop significantly and the animal does not wake for months. Sleep is the general daily rest state for humans and animals, lasting hours rather than months, with distinct cycles of deep and light sleep. Doze describes a light, brief period of sleep from which one wakes easily — a cat dozes in the sun but does not hibernate. Dormant (adjective) describes a temporary inactive state that can resume when conditions improve; it applies to volcanoes, plants, seeds, or business projects. Unlike hibernation, dormancy does not necessarily involve the controlled metabolic slowdown that characterises animal winter sleep. For example, a bear hibernates in its den all winter, while a volcano lies dormant between eruptions but could become active at any time.

hibernate ↗sleep ↗dozedormant

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • go into hibernation
  • come out of hibernation
  • in a state of hibernation

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin hībernāre, meaning 'to spend the winter', which comes from hībernus ('wintry'), itself from hiems ('winter'). The word entered English through French in the early 1800s.