Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. In a state of sleep; sleeping.
- adj. Inactive; dormant.
- adj. Indifferent: politicians who are asleep to the needs of their constituents.
- adj. Numb, especially from reduced circulation of blood to a limb: My leg is asleep.
- adj. Dead.
- adv. In or into a state of sleep.
- adv. In or into a state of apathy or indifference.
- adv. Into a state of numbness.
- adv. Into the sleep of the dead.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- In or into a state of sleep: as, to fall asleep.
- Figuratively— Dead; in or into a state of death: chiefly in the Scriptures and religious literature.
- Dormant; inactive; idle.
- Having a peculiar numb feeling, accompanied by or passing off with a prickly tingling sensation. This condition is produced usually by prolonged pressure on the nerve-trunks, and consequently is most frequent in the arms and legs.
- Nautical, said of sails when the wind is just strong enough to distend them and prevent them from shaking.
Wiktionary
- adj. In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting.
- adj. Inattentive.
- adj. Having a numb or prickling sensation accompanied by a degree of unresponsiveness.
- adj. dead
GNU Webster's 1913
- In a state of sleep; in sleep; dormant.
- In the sleep of the grave; dead.
- Numbed, and, usually, tingling.
WordNet 3.0
- adv. in the sleep of death
- adv. into a sleeping state
- adj. dead.
- adj. lacking sensation
- adj. in a state of sleep
Examples
“Pretending to be asleep is a good way to deter people from bothering you.”
Use Unplugged Earphones To Avoid Pesky Interruptions | Lifehacker Australia
“My favourite way to fall asleep is with my nose in his hair.”
“GROSS: You know, the fact that it's potentially dangerous to fall asleep is pretty scary because theoretically, it's the time when you're safely tucked in your bed, and everything's quiet, and your body's in a state of relaxation, whereas you risk jumping out the window.”
“The world has changed and I refuse to remain asleep to it!”
“How we managed to fall asleep is perhaps the mystery in all this.”
“To do this in the middle of the night when we were all asleep, is about as underhanded as I've ever seen.”
“One other comment on symbolism: The cartoon of the Mexican male, sombrero down over his eyes, leaning back against the cactus, obviously sound asleep, is a prickly misrepresentation of the national work ethic.”
Ask an old gringo: symbolism, police, education, and the Virgin
“Being asleep is one of those times when tiny bat teeth could bite you without you being aware of it.”
“Sleep experts say the secret to getting little ones to fall asleep and stay asleep is parents recognizing and respecting a child's natural rhythms and establishing good bedtime habits early on.”
“This much concerning Badr al-Hasan and Sitt al-Husn his cousin; but as regards the Ifrit, as soon as he saw the twain asleep, he said to the Ifritah, “Arise, slip thee under the youth and let us carry him back to his place ere dawn overtake us; for the day is nearhand.””
bilby "In the early light the sea is blue-black like ink. Kidgell is carefully folding his blankets into a mess, 'I haven't slept that well for years.'
'How do you know?' I said. 'You were asleep.'"
- Spike Milligan, 'Mussolini: My Part In His Downfall.' Apr 18, 2009