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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 That episode inspires a Gospel story where Jesus is asleep on a cushion in the stern of the boat during a furious storm. — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 Birdie had been tired, nearly asleep, but her aunt’s silence kept her awake. — Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026 While Mateus Fernandes was fast asleep in Sydney, there was a social media meltdown developing at home. — Elias Burke, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Upon returning and finding the children still asleep, Lara left again, according to authorities. — Larry Seward, CBS News, 1 Aug. 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

Blizzard explains that wild oyster mushrooms can be found on either fallen or dead trees, unlike other mushroom species that prefer live trees.

— Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2026
In July, the Pentagon completed a monthslong review of the incident, and Army leaders briefed families of the fallen soldiers on their findings.

— Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 5 Aug. 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

Her team has dug up living anthrax samples that may have been dormant for 80 years in previous research.

— RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 5 Aug. 2026
If your crepe myrtles aren’t receiving enough light, transplant them to a new growing location when the plants are dormant in winter.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of dormant

Adjective

Fire personnel found two deceased bodies inside the home, Canyon County spokesperson Joe Decker told the Idaho Statesman.

— Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 3 Aug. 2026
The 1967 drama is about estranged brothers who are forced to deal with each other while haggling over the sale of their recently deceased father’s furniture to a dealer.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of deceased

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aslant

asleep

as like as not

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Asleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asleep. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of asleep

adjective

Example Sentences

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