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 Before couples give up and split into separate rooms, a growing lineup of snoring solutions is trying to keep both people in the same bed and both people actually asleep. — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026 The Flynns’ daughters, then ages 9 and 11, were asleep in the next room at the time. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026 Rahaf swings her prosthetics to the song, and at one point, wraps her small arms around Accurso’s neck — following the song’s instructions and pretending to be asleep. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026 Or maybe they’ve been teased themselves after delivering a complete but one-sided conversation while fully asleep at a slumber party. — Michael R. Nadorff, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 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

After nine relocations, baseball fanbases became numb to abandonment, but by 1971, Washington fans who were losing their second franchise in 11 years, had enough.

— Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026
At one point in the swim, her hand went directly into a compass jellyfish, leaving it numb for a while.

— Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of numb

Adjective

Crab shells, whole and in pieces, turned up all over the school, to be swept away with the dust and fallen leaves and other litter, placed in a trash bag, and carried off behind the buildings to the incinerator.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Romaine said crews were clearing drains and chopping up fallen trees.

— Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 27 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

Stroud was pronounced dead in the Sam’s Club parking lot, according to Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s records.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2026
The state was dead last in the report’s affordability category, a ranking driven by housing costs.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of dead

Adjective

The administration has also intervened on behalf of Sable Offshore, allowing the company to revive a long-dormant pipeline off the coast of Santa Barbara despite objections from California officials and regulators.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
During fall, many of the plants in your garden shed their leaves and go dormant in preparation for colder winter weather.

— Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of dormant

Adjective

Historical Artist of the Year Honoring a deceased artist who is the subject of a major museum survey that offers a new lens with which to examine their work.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
In the same month Netflix released Train Dreams, the film version of Denis Johnson’s revered short novel about a logger whose deceased baby daughter visits him in the form of a wolf.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 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 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of asleep

adjective

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