Asleep

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əˈsliːp/

Definitions

1. Not awake; in a state of sleep or rest with eyes closed and reduced consciousness
2. In a state characterized by a suspension of consciousness and inactivity, where sensory awareness is diminished and responsiveness to stimuli is significantly lowered
3. Experiencing a lack of wakefulness, leading to a state of unconsciousness and reduced awareness while resting or sleeping

Etymology: Anyone who has ever heard a sleeping person described as "asleep" has met a word built from a tiny preposition. The "a-" at its front is the same "a-" found in "afoot," "ablaze" and "aboard," a survival from Old English "on" or "in," so "asleep" literally meant something like "in sleep." Its root, "sleep," is the ordinary word, and the combination appeared in Middle English as "aslepe." The grammar is worth a second look. Because the prefix means "in" or "on," "asleep" is a phrase-like adjective that tends to follow a verb rather than sit in front of a noun. We say someone "fell asleep" or "is asleep," but rarely speak of an "asleep child" in the way we speak of a "sleeping child." That restriction is a clue to how the word works: the "a-" prefix still behaves like a little preposition, keeping the state attached to the thing that is in it.

Synonyms: sleeping, slumbering

Antonyms: awake, alert, conscious