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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fallen

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Before couples give up and split into separate rooms, a growing lineup of snoring solutions is trying to keep both people in the same bed and both people actually asleep. — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026 The Flynns’ daughters, then ages 9 and 11, were asleep in the next room at the time. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026 Rahaf swings her prosthetics to the song, and at one point, wraps her small arms around Accurso’s neck — following the song’s instructions and pretending to be asleep. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026 Or maybe they’ve been teased themselves after delivering a complete but one-sided conversation while fully asleep at a slumber party. — Michael R. Nadorff, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 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

After nine relocations, baseball fanbases became numb to abandonment, but by 1971, Washington fans who were losing their second franchise in 11 years, had enough.

— Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026
At one point in the swim, her hand went directly into a compass jellyfish, leaving it numb for a while.

— Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of numb

Adjective

While the university grappled with yet another football scandal, an Ann Arbor moving crew simply got to work—sorting, packing and hauling away the remnants of a fallen career, one item at a time, over the span of six hours.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Beside a fallen tree, McCormack points out how a beaver chewed more deeply into one side of the trunk, bringing it down into the water.

— CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 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

To assist Noah, Sinestro has also forged a new lantern from the water on this dead alien planet — imbued with Zoe’s fear toxins — causing golden cracks in the object’s surface.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Urker, who also fathered a baby girl, Aurora, with Blanchard, was found dead Thursday in Raceland, Louisiana.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of dead

Adjective

This particular set of remains—46 crania stored at Cambridge University—came from the Umm el-Qaab cemetery, which contains subsidiary burials presumed to be retainers of deceased First Dynasty rulers.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
The other deceased person was inside a silver Jeep that collided with the school bus.

— Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceased

Browse Nearby Words

aslant

asleep

as like as not

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Asleep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asleep. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of asleep

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Luddite

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes