asleep
Americanadverb
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in or into a state of sleep.
He fell asleep quickly.
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into a dormant or inactive state; to rest.
Their anxieties were put asleep.
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into the state of death.
adjective
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sleeping.
He is asleep.
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dormant; inactive.
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(of the foot, hand, leg, etc.) numb.
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dead.
adjective
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in or into a state of sleep
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in or into a dormant or inactive state
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(of limbs, esp when the blood supply to them has been restricted) numb; lacking sensation
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euphemistic dead
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of asleep
before 1000; Middle English o slæpe, aslepe, Old English on slǣpe; see a- 1, sleep
Explanation
If you're asleep, you're not awake and reading this. A baby might find it hard to fall asleep without being held and rocked. Some people snore when they're asleep, and others have strange, vivid dreams. In either case, their eyes are closed and they're in a state of rest that's close to being unconscious. You can also use asleep figuratively, to mean "numb," as when your leg falls asleep, or "inattentive," as when the opposing soccer team is asleep and your team beats them easily.
Vocabulary lists containing asleep
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His antics in Scotland kept crowds amused, including scratching against metal posts and rolling off into the water while asleep, before departing.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Instead, Maddin fell asleep in the cold cabin.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
It’s a humble, low-impact, small-scale story meant to be shown, or fallen asleep to, on TV.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
At the victim's home, Holder fell asleep on her bed, then woke up and beckoned the woman, who was trying to sleep in her lounge, into her bedroom.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
Renn returned, got into her sleeping-sack without a word, and fell asleep.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
