ichidan verb, transitive verb
put to sleep; make someone sleep
Direct causative: to cause a person or animal to fall asleep, e.g., by lulling, soothing, or administering something.
赤ちゃんを眠らせるために子守唄を歌った。
I sang a lullaby to put the baby to sleep.
薬で患者を眠らせ
They put the patient to sleep with medication.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
Colloquial euphemism for killing, often used in criminal or underworld contexts, or for putting an animal to sleep permanently.
裏切り者は眠らせた。
They put the traitor to sleep (killed him).
老犬を眠らせる決断をした。
We made the decision to put the old dog to sleep.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
leave unused; let something lie dormant
Used for assets, talents, or resources that are kept idle or not put to use; often implies waste or potential.
彼は才能を眠らせたままだった。
He left his talent unused.
資金を眠らせておくのはもったいない。
It's a waste to let the funds sit idle.