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

Acosta shot 28-year-old Arthur “Billy” Boucher, a family friend who was asleep on a sofa in the living room.

From Los Angeles Times

“It was around 4 o’clock in the morning. We were asleep. We woke up because of a very strong thud. We couldn’t see anything in the beginning because of the smoke that was everywhere,” said a mother of two who lived in the building opposite.

From BBC

Simmons’ role isn’t much more than a cameo, as he spends most of the movie asleep in a fishbowl, trapped there by Kiernan Shipka’s “Christmas witch” Gryla.

From Los Angeles Times

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