asleep
asleep — adjective
1. in the natural resting state where the eyes are closed, the body is still, and t
in the natural resting state where the eyes are closed, the body is still, and the mind is no longer aware of what is happening around it.
By nine o'clock the twin babies were already asleep in their cots.
predicative: be + asleep
The cat was asleep on the windowsill all afternoon, only its tail twitching now and then.
predicative: be asleep + location
Don't shout in the hallway; Grandma is fast asleep upstairs.
The old dog stayed asleep beside the fire all afternoon.
Amara was half asleep when her phone rang at three in the morning.
- sleeping
the only form usable before a noun
- dozing
lighter sleep, often during the day
- slumbering
literary, suggests deep peaceful sleep
文法句型
be asleep
fall asleep
fast/sound asleep
用法筆記
Predicative only — placed after a verb such as be, fall, stay, or seem. You cannot say 'an asleep child'; use 'a sleeping child' before the noun.
常見錯誤
2. in the moment of passing from being awake into sleep, usually used after the ver
in the moment of passing from being awake into sleep, usually used after the verb 'fall' and often happening without you meaning to.
Esme always falls asleep within five minutes of finishing her bedtime story.
fall asleep + time phrase
The toddler fell asleep on his father's shoulder during the long flight home.
I kept falling asleep during the history lecture on Tuesday morning.
Nikolai fell asleep on the late train home and missed his stop near Banqiao Station.
- wake up
the opposite movement, leaving sleep
文法句型
fall asleep
drift off to sleep
用法筆記
This sense exists almost only in the fixed pattern 'fall asleep' (and the gentler 'drift off to sleep'). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 names the state, this sense names the moment of entering it.
常見錯誤
3. of a leg, foot, hand, or arm: temporarily without normal feeling and hard to mov
of a leg, foot, hand, or arm: temporarily without normal feeling and hard to move, because pressure has cut off the blood supply while it stayed in one position.
After kneeling for an hour at the temple, Hana's left leg was completely asleep.
subject is a body part
I shook my hand because my fingers had gone asleep under the pillow.
go + asleep for body parts
Citlali limped to the kitchen because his right foot was still asleep from the six-hour bus ride.
My arm is asleep because the cat slept on it for two hours.
文法句型
[body part] is asleep
用法筆記
Subject must be a body part (leg, foot, hand, arm, fingers). Often introduced with 'go' rather than 'be' to highlight the change: 'my foot has gone asleep'. Distinguish from sense 1, where the subject is a person or animal.
常見錯誤
asleep — adverb
1. into sleep, used after verbs like 'rock', 'lull', 'sing', or 'pat' that describe
into sleep, used after verbs like 'rock', 'lull', 'sing', or 'pat' that describe gently making a person or animal go to sleep.
The mother gently rocked her newborn asleep on the wooden chair.
rock + object + asleep
The slow rhythm of the train lulled the tired passengers asleep one by one.
lull + object + asleep
Grandfather sang the children asleep with an old folk song from his village.
The vet patted the frightened puppy asleep before the small operation.
- to sleep
the standard form after most verbs (go to sleep, put to sleep)
- awake
into a waking state (e.g. 'shake someone awake')
文法句型
lull/rock/sing + [object] + asleep
用法筆記
Only appears after a small set of verbs meaning to cause sleep gently — typically 'rock', 'lull', 'sing', or 'pat'. Without such a verb, prefer 'to sleep' (e.g. 'go to sleep').
常見錯誤
2. in literary or religious writing: into death, with the gentle picture of dying a
in literary or religious writing: into death, with the gentle picture of dying as a peaceful passing into sleep.
The old priest fell asleep in the Lord on a quiet Sunday morning, surrounded by his family.
religious euphemism for dying
Many soldiers from the village fell asleep on the battlefields of northern France in 1916.
literary euphemism
The headmaster fell asleep at the age of ninety-two, leaving behind three generations of students and grateful colleagues.
Aunt Mei fell asleep peacefully at home last Tuesday, with her two daughters holding her hands.
- pass away
the standard polite term for dying
- depart this life
very formal, common in obituaries
文法句型
fall asleep (in death)
用法筆記
Confined to elevated, religious, or poetic writing as a soft way of saying 'die'. Distinguish from adverb sense 1 (entering ordinary sleep) and adjective sense 3 (falling asleep at night). The phrase 'fall asleep in the Lord' is specifically Christian.