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 Haleigh’s friend Brittney Ketchum was asleep when her phone rang. — Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026 The latter, voiced by Martin Scorsese in the film, is largely asleep and snoring in the food truck-like stand, while Grogu uses the Force to whisk orders across the counter. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 In case of emergency, there’s a lyre on the nightstand that lulls him asleep. — Brandon Follick, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026 An intoxicated Flint man was arrested after he was found asleep in his vehicle and blocking lanes of Interstate 75 in Oakland County, Michigan State Police said. — Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 11 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
  • 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
  • Be sure to start below the injury and wrap upward, overlapping each layer but never so tightly that fingers or toes become numb or painful.
    — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 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
  • Atlanta police said a man suffering from a gunshot wound was found in the building’s parking deck; he was pronounced dead by emergency medical personnel.
    — Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Unlike ceramides, which reinforce the moisture barrier, or hyaluronic acid, which mainly hydrates at the surface, urea can moisturize and, at higher strengths, exfoliate dead skin cells.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 4 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
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Cite this Entry

“Asleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asleep. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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