asleep

adjective

ə-ˈslēp How to pronounce asleep (audio)
Definition of asleepnext
1
as in sleeping
being in a state of suspended consciousness was sound asleep when the earthquake struck

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in numb
lacking in sensation or feeling after sitting cross-legged all afternoon, I arose only to discover that my right foot was asleep

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fallen
no longer living let us pray for those who are now asleep

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of asleep In this study, researchers found the heart muscle walls of people exposed to more than 3 lux of light while asleep thickened in ways that reduced the efficiency of the heart’s pumping action. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 The passenger was reportedly asleep when a fiancé said something about what was going on. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026 Don’t attempt to get close to any animals, no matter how calm or asleep the animal appears to be. — Elaine Reno, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026 Since staterooms are clustered closely together, keeping voices down in hallways—especially late at night—shows consideration for neighbors who may already be asleep. — Jill Schildhouse, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for asleep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asleep
  1. sleeping
  2. numb
  3. fallen
  4. resting
  5. numbed
  6. dead
  7. dormant
  8. deceased
Adjective
  • An autopsy showed that the infant died from asphyxiation secondary to a co-sleeping/overlay event with an unsafe sleeping environment.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of sleeping
Adjective
  • On one Anderson sack late in the first quarter, Allen kicked his feet in agony and later revealed the hit made his left arm go numb.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • When the old man dies, her numb reaction appears caught between grief and relief, though her two adult sons show little understanding of her emotional state.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of numb
Adjective
  • The fallen autumn leaves can be left in the garden to serve as a carbon-rich winter cover that suppresses weeds just as effectively as wood bark mulch.
    — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
  • There are games on four different days in Week 1, including a Super Bowl rematch, the debut of the new Super Team and a fallen dynasty in search of reclamation.
    — J.J. Bailey, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of fallen
Adjective
  • That’s because when the body experiences physical stress, including losing weight quickly, more hairs can shift into a resting phase and fall out a few months later — typically two to three months after the event, Rossi explains.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 17 Feb. 2026
  • This is a condition where, due to stress or hormonal changes, the body puts the hair follicles into a resting phase.
    — Essence, Essence, 19 Dec. 2025
Definition of resting
Adjective
  • When Bill’s older brother Henry (Barry Ward) finds the pianist in numbed solitude in his dingy apartment, Bill has canceled all his upcoming gigs, saying Scotty cannot be replaced.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Ingber also notes the numbed response to these strikes from much of the American public, something that, in part, may come from the routine nature of these drone strikes as something that the nation has become desensitized to dropping bombs on enemies.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Definition of numbed
Adjective
  • It was blamed for two deaths, including a 74-year-old man found Wednesday near Kauai's south shore and a man found dead Monday on Oahu after a large tree fell on his tent.
    — GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • To push through the change, the Nashville Airport Authority apparently had to update an actual policy that said someone must be dead for two years before having an airport named after them.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of dead
Adjective
  • Consider applying an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil after pruning to smother scale and insect eggs to the dormant roses.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2026
  • This barrier smothers dormant weed seeds and breaks down into rich soil by spring.
    — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of dormant
Adjective
  • Some of the attacks were viciously personal, like about how a deceased family member deserved to die.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The pedestrian was transported to a nearby hospital by ambulance and was later pronounced deceased, police said.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of deceased

Browse Nearby Words

aslant
asleep
as like as not
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Asleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asleep. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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