asleep

[ uh-sleep ]

adverb

1. in or into a state of sleep:

   He fell asleep quickly.

2. into a dormant or inactive state; to rest:

   Their anxieties were put asleep.

3. into the state of death.

adjective

1. sleeping:

   He is asleep.

2. dormant; inactive.
3. (of the foot, hand, leg, etc.) numb.
4. dead.

asleep

/ əˈsliːp /

adjective

1. in or into a state of sleep
2. in or into a dormant or inactive state
3. (of limbs, esp when the blood supply to them has been restricted) numb; lacking sensation
4. euphemistic.
   dead

Other Words From

• half-a·sleep adjective
• quasi-a·sleep adjective adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of asleep¹

before 1000; Middle English o slæpe, aslepe, Old English on slǣpe; a- ¹, sleep

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with asleep , also see fall asleep .

Example Sentences

Hegseth recalled Doe displaying early signs of regret following the incident and that she said she would tell her husband she fell asleep on a couch in another hotel room, according to the report.

From Los Angeles Times

Caroline Darian, 45, has repeatedly said she is convinced her father drugged and abused her after semi-naked photos of her asleep were found on his laptop.

From BBC

Mr Pelicot has repeatedly denied this was the case, insisting that when he recruited men on the internet he made it abundantly clear that his wife would be asleep.

From BBC

Then they would retire to the shipping container and fall asleep side-by-side on the cots holding hands.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of the mystical women whose YouTube videos help me fall asleep would disagree.

From Salon

Related Words

• comatose
• dormant