asleep

English

Etymology

From Middle English aslepe, equivalent to a- (“in, on”) +‎ sleep.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /əˈsliːp/
IPA: /əˈsliːp/
Rhymes: -iːp
Hyphenation: asleep

Adjective

asleep (comparative more asleep, superlative most asleep)

A camel asleep (1)

In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting.
I was asleep when you called.
Never disturb a man asleep.
(slang) Inattentive.
How could you miss that? Were you asleep?
- 1997, Carlin, George, Brain Droppings‎, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, LCCN 96-52373, OCLC 36084460, OL 26335012M, page 83:
  The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it.
(of a body part) Having a numb or prickling sensation accompanied by a degree of unresponsiveness.
My arm fell asleep. You know, like pins and needles.
- 2003, Norma L. Bronoski, Nuns Don't Dance:
  Louisa sat in the car crying, until her foot fell asleep. She shook her foot violently, afraid the numbness would turn to frostbite.
(euphemistic) Dead.

Usage notes

Not used in attributive position. sleeping is used instead.
That dog is asleep. — Where is the sleeping dog?

Antonyms

awake

Derived terms

asleep at the switch
asleep at the wheel
dead asleep
every shut eye isn't asleep
fall asleep
fall asleep in the Lord
fast asleep
half-asleep
sound asleep

Translations

in a state of sleep

Arabic: نَائِم‎ (nāʾim)
Armenian: քնած (hy) (kʿnac)
Azerbaijani: yatmış
Belarusian: спя́чы (spjáčy)
Bikol Central: turog (bcl)
Bulgarian: заспал (bg) (zaspal), спящ (bg) (spjašt)
Catalan: adormit (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 睡著的 (zh), 睡着的 (zh) (shuìzháo de), 熟睡 (zh) (shúshuì)
Dutch: slapend (nl)
Finnish: unessa, nukuksissa, nukkumassa; nukuksiin, nukkuva (fi)
French: endormi (fr)
German: use a form of the verb schlafen (de), schlafend (de)
Greek: κοιμισμένος (el) (koimisménos), αποκοιμισμένος (el) (apokoimisménos)
Hebrew: ישן‎ (he) (yashén)
Hungarian: alszik (hu)
Ido: dormanta (io)
Irish: i do chodladh
Italian: addormentato (it)
Japanese: 寝ている (ja) (ねている, nete iru), 眠っている (ja) (ねむっている, nemutte iru), 熟睡 (ja) (じゅくすい, jukusui)
Khmer: ដេកលក់ (deɛk lʊək)
Korean: 잠들다 (ko) (jamdeulda)
Latin: cubitus, cubo
Macedonian: заспан (zaspan)
Maltese: rieqed
Norman: endormi
Old English: use the verb slǣpan, slǣpende
Pashto: ويده‎ (ps) (widë)
Persian: خوابیده‎ (fa) (xâbide)
Polish: uśpiony, śpiący (pl)
Portuguese: dormindo
Romanian: adormit (ro)
Russian: спя́щий (ru) (spjáščij) (to be asleep - спать (spatʹ)), усну́вший (ru) (usnúvšij) (to fall asleep - усну́ть (usnútʹ), засну́ть (zasnútʹ))
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: spicy
Spanish: dormido (es)
Tagalog: tulog
Thai: please add this translation if you can
Ukrainian: спля́чий (spljáčyj)
Urdu: خوابیدہ‎ (xwābidah or xābidah)
Waray-Waray: turog
Welsh: ynghwsg

inattentive

Catalan: adormit (ca)
Finnish: unessa, nukuksissa
Greek: κοιμισμένος (el) (koimisménos)
Hebrew: ישן‎ (he) (yashén), רדום‎ (radúm)
Italian: addormentato (it)
Latin: cubitus, cubo
Pashto: ويده‎ (ps) (widë)
Portuguese: dormindo
Russian: вя́лый (ru) (vjályj)
Spanish: dormido (es)

numb or prickling

Bulgarian: изтръпнал (bg) (iztrǎpnal)
Catalan: adormit (ca)
Finnish: puutunut (fi), tunnoton (fi), turta (fi)
German: eingeschlafen (de)
Greek: μουδιασμένος (el) (moudiasménos)
Hebrew: רדום‎ (radúm)
Hungarian: elzsibbadt, el van zsibbadva
Japanese: 痺れた (しびれた, shibireta)
Korean: 저리다 (ko) (jeorida)
Maori: kerekerewai, kēkerewai, mātorutoru
Navajo: yiisííʼ
Pashto: ويده‎ (ps) (widë)
Portuguese: dormente (pt)
Russian: затёкший (ru) (zatjókšij)
Spanish: dormido (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: ^{(please verify)} nivistî (ku), ^{(please verify)} razayî (ku), ^{(please verify)} raketî (ku), di ^{(please verify)} xew (ku)
Maltese: ^{(please verify)} rieqed

Anagrams

Sapele, elapse, please, sapele