asleep

1 of 2

adjective

1
: being in a state of sleep
2
: dead
3
: lacking sensation : numb
4
b
: not alert : indifferent

asleep

2 of 2

adverb

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
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
Shapiro and his family were asleep at the time of the incident. Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025 Every class, three or four of the teenage students would be asleep. Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Adverb
The whir of the white noise machine that helped my daughter fall back asleep. Aisha Muharrar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025 Granite State Dog Center, a doggy day care in New Hampshire, captured a video of all the large dogs fast asleep. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for asleep

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English aslepe, from Old English on slæpe

First Known Use

Adjective

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of asleep was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Asleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asleep. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

asleep

1 of 2 adjective
1
: being in a state of sleep
2
: lacking sensation : numb
my foot was asleep

asleep

2 of 2 adverb
: into a state of sleep

Medical Definition

asleep

1 of 2 adjective
1
: being in a state of sleep
2
: lacking sensation : numb

asleep

2 of 2 adverb
: into a state of sleep

More from Merriam-Webster on asleep

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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