Meaning & use
out like a log
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformal
Sleeping very deeply and not easily woken, often after becoming suddenly tired.
Grammar: Used after linking verbs like be, fall, or go: 'She was out like a log.' It describes a state, not an action you do to someone.
Patterns
- be out like a log
- fall out like a log
- go out like a log
After the long hike, he was out like a log before his head hit the pillow.
The baby cried for an hour, but once she fell asleep she was out like a log.
I took some cold medicine and went out like a log for ten hours.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
Completely unconscious or unaware of what is happening around you.
Grammar: Often used with be or go: 'He was out like a log after the accident.' It can suggest a heavy, unresponsive state.
Patterns
- be out like a log
- go out like a log
The boxer was out like a log for a few seconds after the punch.
She was out like a log and didn't hear the phone ring right next to her.
Common combinations
- out like a log after a long day
- He was out like a log after a long day at work.
- fall out like a log
- She fell out like a log as soon as the movie started.
- go out like a log
- I went out like a log and missed my alarm.
- sleep out like a log
- The kids slept out like logs through the thunderstorm.
- be out like a log all night
- He was out like a log all night and didn't move once.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fast asleep
- This is a neutral, standard way to say someone is sleeping deeply; 'out like a log' is more informal and emphasizes being hard to wake.
- sound asleep
- Similar in meaning, but 'sound asleep' is slightly more formal and doesn't carry the image of being as heavy as a log.
- dead to the world
- An informal idiom meaning deeply asleep or unconscious; it can also mean unaware of everything, which 'out like a log' usually doesn't.
Opposites
Commonly confused: out like a log or sleep like a log?
out like a log vs sleep like a log
This is a verb phrase meaning to sleep very well and deeply. 'Out like a log' describes the state of being asleep, not the act of sleeping.
Practice
After working a double shift, Maria was ___ before 9 p.m.
Choose one answer.
'Out like a log' fits because it means she was sleeping very deeply. 'Out like a light' is similar but usually means becoming unconscious quickly, not necessarily sleeping deeply for a long time. 'Out of the blue' means unexpectedly, and 'out on a limb' means in a risky position.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “out like a log”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.