ASLEEP Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

asleep

adjective

ə-ˈslēp

Definition of asleep

as in sleeping

being in a state of suspended consciousness was sound asleep when the earthquake struck

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in numb

lacking in sensation or feeling after sitting cross-legged all afternoon, I arose only to discover that my right foot was asleep

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fallen

no longer living let us pray for those who are now asleep

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of asleep An intoxicated Flint man was arrested after he was found asleep in his vehicle and blocking lanes of Interstate 75 in Oakland County, Michigan State Police said. — Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 Ono, likely asleep across the country New York, would have been proud. — Katherine Turman, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026 But much like with movement, the report highlights the evidence that suggests consistency matters as much as time asleep. — New Atlas, 7 Aug. 2026 Increasingly, electricity flicks on when Rodríguez and her 41-year-old daughter, Yaimara Matos, would normally be asleep. — Andrea Rodriguez, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for asleep

Recent Examples of Synonyms for asleep

Adjective

An autopsy showed that the infant died from asphyxiation secondary to a co-sleeping/overlay event with an unsafe sleeping environment.

— Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026

Definition of sleeping

Adjective

Then, in late May 1986, Kontras, whose tall, athletic build discloses a lifelong dedication to good health, noticed a swelling on the left side of his back that was numb to the touch.

— Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
There is the potential to eventually grow numb to the finances of a Premier League summer.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of numb

Adjective

Kneeling beside the fallen buck, Charles, an avid trophy bowhunter, ran his hands over the gigantic rack.

— Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
The rules ban all plants within a foot of the home and require the first five feet around homes to be free of combustible materials such as firewood, fallen leaves and branches, and mulch or wood chips.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of fallen

Adjective

That’s because when the body experiences physical stress, including losing weight quickly, more hairs can shift into a resting phase and fall out a few months later — typically two to three months after the event, Rossi explains.

— Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 17 Feb. 2026
This is a condition where, due to stress or hormonal changes, the body puts the hair follicles into a resting phase.

— Essence, Essence, 19 Dec. 2025

Definition of resting

Adjective

When Bill’s older brother Henry (Barry Ward) finds the pianist in numbed solitude in his dingy apartment, Bill has canceled all his upcoming gigs, saying Scotty cannot be replaced.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Ingber also notes the numbed response to these strikes from much of the American public, something that, in part, may come from the routine nature of these drone strikes as something that the nation has become desensitized to dropping bombs on enemies.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 Oct. 2025

Definition of numbed

Adjective

Former SpaceX engineers think a long-dormant nuclear reactor experiment is key to meeting the power needs of data centers.

— Evan Halper, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2026
Hawaii, meanwhile, rightfully earns its place thanks to its dramatic terrain, with 25 active and dormant volcanoes—the most of any state in the study—as well as 543 waterfalls and Mauna Kea, one of the tallest mountain summits in the country.

— Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of dormant

Adjective

The bottom line Creditors may ultimately be paid from the value of a deceased person's home in certain circumstances, and an estate may need to sell the property if there aren't enough other assets to satisfy valid claims.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
The ring features a gradient of pink diamonds going down the band, and both of their deceased parents’ birthstones sit alongside theirs—one on each side.

— Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of deceased

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aslant

asleep

as like as not

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Style

“Asleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asleep. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of asleep

adjective

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