asleep
gb/əslˈip/ us/əslˈip/
A1
English
~ 800
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A1
state
1
in a state of sleep
Sleeping; not awake.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is asleep
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say 'I am sleep' instead of 'I am asleep'. 'Sleep' is usually a verb, while 'asleep' is an adjective.
Synonyms
sleeping (More common as a present participle form; interchangeable in many contexts but may sound less final than 'asleep'.)
Antonyms
awake (Direct opposite; means conscious and not sleeping.)
Collocations
fast asleep
|fall asleep
|sound asleep
|half asleep
|put [someone] to sleep
Themes
daily life
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She was already asleep when I got home.
- The baby is fast asleep in his crib.
- I fell asleep during the movie.
- He pretended to be asleep when his parents came in.
- By midnight, everyone in the house was asleep.
Learner examples
- I am asleep now.
- The child is asleep.
- My cat is asleep on the bed.
- She is asleep in the chair.
- They are asleep after lunch.
adjective
B1
state
2
numb from poor circulation
When a part of your body feels numb and tingly because you sat or lay on it too long.
Usage pattern:
[body part] is asleep
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with being tired or sleeping; here it refers only to body parts losing sensation temporarily.
Synonyms
numb (Can describe both temporary and permanent loss of feeling; 'asleep' here refers specifically to temporary cases.)
Antonyms
sensitive (Able to feel sensations normally.)
Collocations
my leg fell asleep
|arm is asleep
|foot fell asleep
Themes
health
|daily life
|body
Examples
- My foot fell asleep during the meeting.
- I can't stand up yet—my leg is asleep.
- Her arm was asleep from lying on it all night.
- I shook my hand to wake it up because it was asleep.
Learner examples
- My leg is asleep.
- Her arm is asleep.
- My foot fell asleep.
- His hand is asleep.
Grammar
Dictionary form
asleep
IPA
GB/əslˈip/
US/əslˈip/
Syllables & stress
asleep (1 syllable)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: asleep
Word family
Expressions
half asleep
1/hˈæf əslˈip/
fixed phrase
partly awake and drowsy
Feeling sleepy and not fully awake.
Examples
- I was still half asleep when I answered the phone.
- He stumbled into the kitchen, half asleep and yawning.
send [someone] to sleep
1/sˈɛnd sˈʌmwˌʌn tə slˈip/
fixed phrase
bore someone into sleeping
To make someone so bored that they fall asleep.
Examples
- That lecture nearly sent me to sleep.
- The movie was so slow it sent him to sleep.
fast asleep
1/fˈæst əslˈip/
fixed phrase
sleeping very deeply
Sleeping very deeply and peacefully.
Examples
- By 10 p.m., the children were fast asleep.
- She looked so peaceful, fast asleep under the blanket.
fast asleep
2/fˈæst əslˈip/
fixed phrase
In deep sleep
Sleeping very deeply.
Examples
- She was already fast asleep when I came home.
- The baby is fast asleep in his crib.
put [someone] to sleep
1/pˈʊt sˈʌmwˌʌn tə slˈip/
fixed phrase
make someone sleep
To help someone start sleeping, often by reading or singing to them.
Examples
- She put the baby to sleep with a lullaby.
- The lecture put half the class to sleep.
- Warm milk sometimes puts me to sleep.
- He put the baby to sleep by singing softly.
fall asleep
1/fˈɔl əslˈip/
fixed phrase
start to sleep
To start sleeping.
Examples
- I usually fall asleep within minutes of going to bed.
- I fell asleep during the movie.
- He fell asleep on the bus and missed his stop.
- She fell asleep on the bus ride home.
fall asleep
2/fˈɔl əslˈip/
fixed phrase
begin sleeping
To start sleeping.
Examples
- I must have fallen asleep in front of the TV.
- The baby finally fell asleep after an hour of crying.