asleep

adjective

uh-SLEEP/əˈsliːp/

4 meanings of asleep

1
adjectivenot before a noun
Sleeping, or resting with your eyes closed.
The baby was asleep before the car left the driveway.
Please be quiet, your father is asleep.
Similarsleeping
Oppositeawake
Note
2
adjectivenot before a noun
Numb and tingling, so that an arm or leg does not work properly for a while.
My foot is asleep from sitting on it.
She shook her hand until it was no longer asleep.
Similarnumb, dead
Note
3
adjectiveeuphemisticnot before a noun
A gentle way of saying that someone has died.
The old cat is asleep now, Mom told the children.
The stone says only that he fell asleep in 1912.
Similardead, departed, gone
Oppositealive
Note
4
adjectiveslangnot before a noun
Not paying attention, as if you were sleeping.
How did you miss the sign? Were you asleep?
The goalkeeper was asleep, and the ball rolled past him.
Similarinattentive, oblivious, unaware
Oppositealert, attentive, vigilant
Note

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English aslepe, made from a- meaning "in, on" plus sleep.