sleeper

rough sleeper

Someone who sleeps outside at night (i.e., "sleeps rough"), usually because they have no home. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. The government's aim is to have the number of rough sleepers halved in five years' time. I spent a couple of years as a rough sleeper after my house was repossessed. It's not something I would wish on anyone.

See also: rough, sleeper

sleeper

A person or thing that achieves sudden and unexpected acclaim or success, especially after an initial period of relative obscurity or middling results. The singer has proven to be a sleeper in the country-western scene. Despite having four studio albums to his name, his latest single is now one of the hottest tracks in the country. Thanks to a brilliantly subtle social media marketing strategy, coupled with highly relevant current events, the film has recently surged in popularity and become something of a sleeper.

sleeper hit

Something, especially a film, that achieves sudden and unexpected acclaim or success after an initial period of relative obscurity or middling results. Thanks to a brilliantly subtle social media marketing strategy, coupled with highly relevant current events, the film has recently surged in popularity and become something of a sleeper hit. With a microscopic budget and next to no publicity, the indie horror film is one of the biggest sleeper hits of the decade.

See also: hit, sleeper

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

sleeper

1. n. a sleeping pill. She took a handful of sleepers with a glass of booze, and that was it.

2. n. someone or something that achieves fame after a period of invisibility. The movie “Red Willow” was undoubtedly the sleeper of the year, winning six awards.

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.