hibernate
verb
hi·ber·nate
ˈhī-bər-ˌnāt 
hibernated; hibernating
1
: to pass the winter in a torpid or resting state
bears hibernating in their dens
2
: to be or become inactive or dormant
let the computer hibernate
Examples of hibernate in a Sentence
bears hibernating in their dens
Recent Examples on the Web
After hibernating for several months, the den's snakes are starting to emerge to shed their skins and soak up the sun.
—
Rachel Flynn, People.com, 14 May 2025
The sinkhole has gone unrepaired since then, and it’s grown deep and wide enough that a bear might choose to hibernate in it, curling up beneath the trees that have taken root in the cavity.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025
Each year, beginning in spring when grizzlies awake from months spent hibernating, between 30 to 40 people — in Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, a small portion of Washington and British Columbia — are attacked, and two to three people are killed, after coming into contact with these animals.
—Johnny Dodd, People.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Another theory suggests that extreme winter weather may have caused their deaths while hibernating, as frogs burrow into the mud but can succumb to particularly harsh freezes.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hibernate
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Rachel Flynn, People.com, 14 May 2025
The sinkhole has gone unrepaired since then, and it’s grown deep and wide enough that a bear might choose to hibernate in it, curling up beneath the trees that have taken root in the cavity.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025
Each year, beginning in spring when grizzlies awake from months spent hibernating, between 30 to 40 people — in Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, a small portion of Washington and British Columbia — are attacked, and two to three people are killed, after coming into contact with these animals.
—Johnny Dodd, People.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Another theory suggests that extreme winter weather may have caused their deaths while hibernating, as frogs burrow into the mud but can succumb to particularly harsh freezes.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hibernate
Cite this Entry
“Hibernate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hibernate. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hibernate
verb
hi·ber·nate
ˈhī-bər-ˌnāt
hibernated; hibernating
: to pass the winter in a sleeping or resting state
Medical Definition
hibernate
intransitive verb
hi·ber·nate
ˈhī-bər-ˌnāt
hibernated; hibernating
: to pass the winter in a torpid or resting state
especially
: to pass the winter in a torpid condition in which the body temperature drops to a little above freezing and metabolic activity is reduced nearly to zero compare estivate
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