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DictionaryasleepSleeping
adjective / adverb

asleep

uh-SLEEP/əˈsliːp/

In or into a state of sleep.

The woman lies asleep on her side with her cheek on a pillow.

A young woman asleep on her side in bed, eyes gently closed, cheek resting naturally on a pillow and hands relaxed beneath her face.
Etymology
aOld Englishin, into
+sleepOld Englishsleep

The pieces originally formed a phrase meaning “in sleep.” The adjective preserves that image: someone asleep is in a state of slumber.

In context

The Sleepy Scientist 33:17
your brain is asleep, but a part of you has woken up just enough to realize this is all in my head.
The Sleepy Scientist | Dreams and the Sleeping Brain: What Science Knows So Far

More examples

  • The baby fell asleep during the ride.
  • By midnight, everyone in the house was asleep.
  • He was still asleep when the sun rose.

Forms

asleep

Similar words

sleeping
Can directly modify a noun, as in sleeping child.
dormant
Usually temporary inactivity rather than literal human sleep.