Wakeless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing sleep so deep and undisturbed that one does not stir or awaken
2. Characterizing a deep and uninterrupted state of sleep that allows for absolute stillness and tranquility without any disturbances or awakenings
3. Not producing any wave or ripple, especially on water, resulting in a smooth and undisturbed surface

Etymology: "Wakeless" is a plain compound: the noun "wake" (in the sense of being awake or waking up) with the suffix "-less," meaning "without." Put together, it describes sleep so deep that nothing rouses the sleeper. The construction follows a pattern English has used freely for centuries, as in "sleepless" or "restless," so the word needed no special coinage to make sense. The interest lies mostly in the pairing. "Wake" in this sense comes from Old English "wacian," to be awake, which is unrelated to the "wake" that means the trail behind a moving boat. Attaching "-less" to the waking sense gives a word whose meaning is the reverse of a state of alertness, so a reader can work it out from its two parts without needing a dictionary.

Synonyms: unwavering, steady, constant, enduring, unfaltering