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 Michael recalled being asleep when Skye suddenly rushed to Donna's side. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 12 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 Tripura said the landslides hit at least four locations across the camps, burying shelters under mud and debris while residents were asleep. — ABC News, 7 July 2026 In Canton, Ohio, a 46-year-old woman was shot in the back while asleep in bed after a man and others reportedly fired weapons into the air and set off fireworks to celebrate the holiday late Friday night. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 5 July 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
  • Spector is clearly concerned with the pernicious consequences of technology, its ability to numb emotions and steer people into ideological cul-de-sacs.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
  • Relationships often suffer as people withdraw or feel emotionally numb.
    — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 30 June 2026
Definition of numb
Adjective
  • The robot successfully navigated university campuses, forest trails, grassy fields, rocky terrain, staircases, stepping stones, logs, gaps, and fallen branches.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 July 2026
  • The suit accuses the fallen celebrity’s people of failing to provide documents clearing two mortgages, which prevented a clean-title transfer.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 15 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
  • The second a driving Kieran Tierney run that left Dani Carvajal for dead and again found McTominay crashing into the box.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Life-threatening flash flooding has hit southern Texas after days of torrential rain, leaving at least two people dead and hundreds of people rescued across the same region struck by last July’s catastrophic floods.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Definition of dead
Adjective
  • For the better part of a decade, the feud lay relatively dormant.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
  • Aim to water aloe vera about every two to three weeks during summer months and once a month or less when the plant is dormant in winter.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 July 2026
Definition of dormant
Adjective
  • Owens, who turns 97 on Thursday, said of deceased parents Homer and Annie Owens.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026
  • The woman was pronounced deceased at the scene, while the man was transported to an area hospital.
    — Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 13 July 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 19 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of asleep for Spanish Speakers

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