ASLEEP Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

asleep

adjective

ə-ˈslēp

Definition of asleep

as in sleeping

being in a state of suspended consciousness was sound asleep when the earthquake struck

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Prosecutors said Shaw’s husband was asleep at home when the twins died and that his account has remained consistent. — Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026 Long before sunrise, while most of Cherokee County is still asleep, the day is already in full swing at a farm tucked away in Canton. — Brian Unger, CBS News, 13 July 2026 Jeffco deputies responded to a report of someone asleep at the wheel of a vehicle at an apartment complex near West Hampden Avenue Service South and South Harlan Street on Sunday morning. — Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 13 July 2026 Josey, who was 4 years old at the time, was later found safe, asleep in a life jacket aboard the drifting boat. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for asleep

Recent Examples of Synonyms for asleep

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

My hand instantly went numb, the wrist and fingers falling limp and useless.

— Todd Orr, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026
As people around her begin slipping into an emotionally numb trance described as being eclipsed, the boundaries between Bego’s imagination, the digital world and physical reality begin to dissolve.

— Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 30 July 2026

Definition of numb

Adjective

Crews remained at the scene to help the power company with the fallen pole, the department said.

— Mark Price July 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
Aemond finds himself at the mercy of the Harrenhal witch, Alys Rivers, while Aegon and Larys continue their misadventures near Rook’s Rest, where the fallen and crippled king must, for once, learn some humility.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 July 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

Despite continued life-saving efforts by first responders, the girl was pronounced dead before she could be airlifted to a hospital.

— Richard Ramos, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Investigators declared the driver of the white SUV, a 53-year-old man, dead at the scene, Moncayo said.

— Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of dead

Adjective

The Unified Government and Eastside and its partners, the Arnold Development Group and Keystone Innovations, have hit an impasse over how much that prime real estate — which has been dormant since Indian Springs’ demolition — should sell for.

— Sofi Zeman July 30, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
However, the court has lain dormant in the 30 years since it was created and has never been used before.

— Elise Spenner, ABC News, 30 July 2026

Definition of dormant

Adjective

The majority are retirees, but the Social Security Administration (SSA) also provides regular income to disabled workers, widowed spouses and children of deceased workers.

— Brian Sloan, CNBC, 21 July 2026
The face of deceased founder Maurice White looms in the background.

— DeAsia Paige, AJC.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of deceased

Browse Nearby Words

aslant

asleep

as like as not

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Style

“Asleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asleep. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of asleep

adjective

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