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View synonyms for

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.

asleep

/ əˈː /

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • 󲹱-· adjective
  • ܲȴ-· adjective adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of asleep1

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

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

Examples have not been reviewed.

He told the BBC he was asleep when he was suddenly "thrown out of bed" by the impact of the explosion.

From

Marten told the court the baby died while she was asleep.

From

He held me for hours when I was in physical distress even though his arm fell asleep.

From

Whisk up some morning matcha In my perfect world, I’d fall asleep at midnight and get nine hours of sleep, which would be perfect.

From

A woman who was living at the school with her husband, children and grandchildren said they were asleep when the attack happened.

From

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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Aslaugasleep at the switch