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Synonyms

half-asleep

British  

adjective

  1. neither fully asleep nor awake

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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Written by Félix de Givry and Ugo Bienvenu and directed by the latter, it’s one of those old-fashioned feature cartoons that seems aimed at pleasing half-asleep old people rather than lively youngsters.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 22, 2026

Mikalai Dziadok said he learnt how to exercise at night, half-asleep, to warm up.

From BBC Nov. 4, 2025

He began by recounting—in an unusual, half-asleep tone—the attempt on his life.

From Slate Jul. 20, 2024

On the other side of the world, Biette-Timmons was half-asleep and didn’t have her eyeglasses on when she saw her friend’s last name pop up on as a notification on her phone.

From Washington Post Apr. 8, 2023

The early morning joggers and the half-asleep students clutching bags of bagels to their chests didn’t so much as give him or the towering, enraged ghost slowly making his way to Boaz a passing glance.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

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