asleep

1 of 2

adjective

1
: being in a state of sleep
2
: dead
3
: lacking sensation : numb
4
b
: not alert : indifferent

asleep

2 of 2

adverb

1
: into a state of sleep
2
: into the sleep of death
3
: into a state of inactivity, sluggishness, or indifference

Examples of asleep in a Sentence

Adjective “Are you asleep?” “No, I'm awake.” He tries to clean up the house while the kids are asleep. The cats are asleep on the floor. She was still asleep at noon.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
Most residents in the beachfront luxury condominium at Surfside were asleep in their beds when their 12-story residential building shuddered and then collapsed, pinning sleeping residents between the heavy concrete slabs of each floor. Bruce Strom, Sun Sentinel, 6 Apr. 2025 Screaming for help Most people in the Plum Bay neighborhood were asleep before dawn on Sunday, Feb. 16. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Gently wake them up when the alarm goes off, encourage them to stay awake for a few minutes before falling back asleep. David Metzger, Parents, 3 Apr. 2025 Tee Rainer woke up from a nap around 10:15 p.m. on Oct. 22, 2023, and couldn’t fall back asleep. Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for asleep

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English aslepe, from Old English on slæpe

First Known Use

Adjective

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of asleep was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Asleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asleep. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

asleep

1 of 2 adjective
1
: being in a state of sleep
2
: lacking sensation : numb
my foot was asleep

asleep

2 of 2 adverb
: into a state of sleep

Medical Definition

asleep

1 of 2 adjective
1
: being in a state of sleep
2
: lacking sensation : numb

asleep

2 of 2 adverb
: into a state of sleep

More from Merriam-Webster on asleep

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!