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 Haleigh’s friend Brittney Ketchum was asleep when her phone rang. — Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026 The latter, voiced by Martin Scorsese in the film, is largely asleep and snoring in the food truck-like stand, while Grogu uses the Force to whisk orders across the counter. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 In case of emergency, there’s a lyre on the nightstand that lulls him asleep. — Brandon Follick, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026 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 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

When the old man dies, her numb reaction appears caught between grief and relief, though her two adult sons show little understanding of her emotional state.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
Be sure to start below the injury and wrap upward, overlapping each layer but never so tightly that fingers or toes become numb or painful.

— Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of numb

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

Atlanta police said a man suffering from a gunshot wound was found in the building’s parking deck; he was pronounced dead by emergency medical personnel.

— Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Unlike ceramides, which reinforce the moisture barrier, or hyaluronic acid, which mainly hydrates at the surface, urea can moisturize and, at higher strengths, exfoliate dead skin cells.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of dead

Adjective

It was shut down in 2008 and has sat dormant since, contaminated by hazardous chemicals in the ground that GM never cleaned up.

— Greta Reich, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
While the Anaheim Ducks, located a stone’s throw from Angel Stadium, are in the midst of a massive refurbishment project, the area surrounding the baseball stadium is largely dormant.

— Sam Blum, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of dormant

Adjective

According to Philadelphia police, hundreds of thousands of photos and videos found in the home include those that appear to show two missing women alive then presumably deceased.

— Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Officers forcefully entered the residence to find a deceased naked woman on the bedroom floor in the back of the apartment.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of deceased

Browse Nearby Words

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 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of asleep

adjective

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