1
: into a state of sleep
2
: into the sleep of death
3
: into a state of inactivity, sluggishness, or indifference
Examples of asleep in a Sentence
Adjective
“Are you asleep?” “No, I'm awake.”
He tries to clean up the house while the kids are asleep.
The cats are asleep on the floor.
She was still asleep at noon.
Recent Examples on the Web
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
According to a lawsuit filed by the security company, one of the drivers was asleep inside the vehicle and the other was grabbing food inside the rest stop when the thieves broke in.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Lora Kolodny,jennifer Elias,annie Palmer, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2025
The adorable pup lies flat on their stomach, fast asleep, as their owner gently drags them through the airport queue—clearly not quite ready for a full day on duty.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for asleep
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Traveling toward the cops on the empty morning road was a MAZ truck loaded with pipe, my father asleep at the wheel.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
According to a lawsuit filed by the security company, one of the drivers was asleep inside the vehicle and the other was grabbing food inside the rest stop when the thieves broke in.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Adverb
But one California rider posted a video on Reddit in November showing a Tesla rideshare monitor asleep at the wheel.
—Lora Kolodny,jennifer Elias,annie Palmer, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2025
The adorable pup lies flat on their stomach, fast asleep, as their owner gently drags them through the airport queue—clearly not quite ready for a full day on duty.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for asleep
Cite this Entry
“Asleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asleep. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
