What does bedmate mean?
A bedmate is simply a person who shares a bed with someone else. The word applies both to intimate partners, such as spouses or lovers, and to people who end up sharing a bed through circumstance — travelers doubled up in a small hotel room, siblings, or soldiers billeted together. It can also be used figuratively, though far less often than its cousin 'bedfellow', to describe an ally in some joint enterprise, as when rival political factions are described as unlikely bedmates. The word carries an informal register and a neutral-to-intimate connotation depending on context; it does not inherently imply a sexual relationship, though listeners may assume one. Formed from the plain English elements 'bed' and 'mate', it is transparent and easily understood even by those encountering it for the first time. Writers reach for it when they want a slightly warmer or more concrete alternative to 'partner' or 'companion' in contexts involving shared sleeping arrangements.
nounA person who shares a bed with another, whether as a sexual partner or simply by circumstance. By extension, it can figuratively describe an ally or associate in an endeavor.
- A person who shares a bed with another, especially a sexual partner or spouse.
- Figuratively, an ally, partner, or close associate in a shared undertaking.
"The hotel room had only one bed, so the two colleagues reluctantly became bedmates for the night."
"She reached over to switch off the lamp, careful not to wake her bedmate."
"Environmental groups found an unlikely bedmate in the farming lobby over the new water regulations."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple people who each share a bed with someone, or to several people sharing a bed collectively.
"The hostel bunks were narrow, and the three bedmates negotiated territory before lights-out."
Long before hotels assigned rooms, travelers routinely shared beds with total strangers — making 'bedmate' once a purely practical word rather than an intimate one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bedmate
Bedmate is a straightforward English compound formed from 'bed', from Old English 'bedd', and 'mate', from Middle Low German 'māt' meaning companion or messmate, which entered English in the Middle Ages. Compounds pairing 'bed' with a companion-word have existed in English for centuries, with 'bedfellow' attested from around the fifteenth century and 'bedmate' appearing somewhat later. Both words originally described the practical reality of shared sleeping arrangements in an era when beds were scarce and often communal. Germanic cognates of the 'mate' element include Dutch 'maat' and German 'Maat'.
How bedmate is actually used
Bedmate is informal in tone and less common than bedfellow. In its literal sense it is neutral, referring either to a romantic partner or to anyone sharing a bed out of necessity. The figurative sense is rarer and usually appears in political or journalistic writing about unexpected alliances.
Easily confused with bedmate
A bedfellow is literally someone who shares one's bed, but the phrase 'politics makes strange bedfellows' has made it far more common as a figurative term for an unlikely ally, whereas bedmate more often retains its literal sense.