asleep
Translation
asleep, sleeping
Examples
The baby is asleep.
The baby is asleep.
He fell asleep on the sofa.
He fell asleep on the sofa.
Grammar Patterns
((to be)) asleep to be in a state of sleep The cat is asleep.
((to fall)) asleep to begin sleeping She fell asleep during the film.
Similar Words
Synonyms: sleeping, dormant; Antonyms: awake, conscious
Etymology
From Old English 'on slæpe', meaning 'in sleep'. The 'a-' prefix often means 'on' or 'in'.
Memory Tips
Think 'a' + 'sleep' = in a state of sleep. It's used after a verb (e.g., 'is asleep'), not before a noun.