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

We fell asleep to the sound of the waves crashing against the breakwall.

From Washington Post

We allow our smartphones to monitor where we go, what time we fall asleep and even whether we’ve washed our hands for a full 20 seconds.

From Science News

Sometimes, when I am ready to turn in for the night, I will find him asleep in my bed!

From Washington Post

He has a reputation as being hard to work with, and reportedly falls asleep in meetings that don’t interest him.

From Time

By the time I came home, they were both asleep and then we would do the same thing over and over again.

From Ozy

Dehydrated and feeling weary, Marino lay down beside another migrant under a tree and fell asleep.

From The Daily Beast

And he was followed by each one of them until the seventh dwarf looked at his bed and saw Little Snow White lying there asleep.

From The Daily Beast

Inside, it seemed hopeless, for every chair in sight was occupied, and a dozen men were asleep on the floor.

From The Daily Beast

Sometimes the political people at the White House just appear to be asleep.

From The Daily Beast

The girl next to me, an attractive brunette in her 20s, spent much of the first act and most of the second half asleep.

From The Daily Beast

The Café tender was asleep in his chair; the porter had gone off; the sentinel alone kept awake on his post.

From Project Gutenberg

The sun shone and the birds sang, and the day was beautiful without when she at last fell asleep again.

From Project Gutenberg

Here Badorful rolled over upon his side, and was instantly fast asleep.

From Project Gutenberg

Upon this he went to bed again, fell asleep, and dreamed a fourth time as before.

From Project Gutenberg

The child asleep again, he laid it on its bed, and then sat far into the night thinking barrenly.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• comatose
• dormant