siesta

siesta — noun

1. A short rest or quiet time around the middle of the day, commonly part of daily

1.nounB1
Definition

A short rest or quiet time around the middle of the day, commonly part of daily life in hot countries where people pause to avoid the strong afternoon heat.

Example

After a big lunch, the village closes for a two-hour siesta before work resumes.

Rin takes a short siesta after lunch when the summer heat becomes too intense.

collocation: take a siesta

Common collocations
  • have a siesta
  • take a siesta
  • enjoy a siesta
  • afternoon siesta
  • daily siesta
Synonyms
  • nap

    a short sleep at any time of day; less tied to culture or timing

  • snooze

    informal term for a short, light sleep, often unintentional

  • rest

    broader — can refer to sitting still or relaxing without sleeping

Grammar Patterns

have a siesta

take a siesta

enjoy a siesta

Usage Note

Frequently paired with have, take, or enjoy (have a siesta, take a siesta). The term refers specifically to a cultural tradition of resting after the midday meal — do not use it for a short sleep at other times of day; use nap instead.

Common Mistakes

I had a nice siesta on the sofa this morning.
I had a nice nap on the sofa this morning.
Siesta refers to an early-afternoon rest, not any nap at any time of day.
She takes a siesta after yoga class at 10 a.m.
She takes a nap after yoga class at 10 a.m.
Siesta specifically means a rest taken after the midday meal, not after a morning activity.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Nap is the most general term for a short sleep at any time of day — you can take a nap after lunch, on a plane, or during a study break. Snooze is informal and often suggests a light, accidental sleep (e.g. dozing off on the sofa). Rest is broader still: it covers any break from activity without requiring sleep (lying down with your eyes closed counts). Siesta is the only one with a fixed cultural and temporal setting — it means a rest or sleep taken in the early afternoon as part of a daily routine, most often in warm-climate countries. For example: 'After a heavy lunch in Seville, the whole family enjoys a quiet siesta before returning to work.' Here, nap or snooze would miss the cultural tradition, and rest would be too vague.

napsnoozerest ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • have a siesta
  • take a siesta
  • enjoy a siesta

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinSpanishEnglish

Siesta comes from Spanish siesta meaning 'afternoon rest', which traces back to Latin sexta (hora) meaning 'sixth hour' — counting from dawn, the sixth hour falls around midday, when the sun is at its hottest and work traditionally pauses.