asleepa‧sleep /əˈsliːp/ ●●● S2 adjective [not before noun] 
Quiet! The baby’s asleep.fast/sound asleep (=sleeping deeply)2fall asleep a)to begin to sleep: Grandad fell asleep watching TV. One in seven road accidents is caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel (=falling asleep while driving). b) literary used to mean that someone dies, when you want to avoid saying this directly3half asleep very tired or not completely awake: Still half asleep, Jenny began to make the kids’ breakfast.4an arm or leg that is asleep has been in one position for too long, so you cannot feel it properly5asleep at the wheel/switch not paying attention to a situation, so that something bad happens: Several publishers were asleep at the switch, and missed the book’s potential. → go to sleep at sleep2(3)
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Kelly was asleep on the sofa.
- At 7: 30 Celestine, dripping with sweat, returned to the bed where Stafford was still deep asleep.
- But I was in the back of the wagon once and fell asleep.
- He roused Alexander White, 69, who was asleep in a first-floor flat filled with heavy smoke.
- He was lying under his shirt, asleep.
- It drove him mad to think of a stranger standing next to our beds at night, and him asleep.
- She did not fall asleep until daybreak.
- The child was sound asleep now, his tiny eyelashes resting on rounded cheeks.
- They were both asleep in moments.
Longman Language Activatorto sleep
· Charlotte was sleeping and her mother didn't want to wake her.· If my snoring is that bad, I'll go down and sleep on the sofa.sleep (for) 2 hours/ten minutes etc · I had slept only a few hours, but I had to get up early.· I'm so tired, I could sleep for a week.· Is the baby sleeping all night now?sleep well/badly · I didn't sleep very well last night, so I couldn't concentrate on the exam.
the time when you are sleeping: · Eight hours' sleep a night is enough for most people.· Depression can be caused simply by a lack of sleep.get some/a lot/not much etc sleep: · I don't suppose you got much sleep last night.in your sleep (=while you are sleeping): · Katie sometimes talks in her sleep.· Grandad died peacefully in his sleep.deep sleep (=a sleep that is difficult to wake up from): · A sudden noise on the street woke Eileen from a deep sleep.
to be sleeping: · It was nine o'clock and Nicky was still asleep.· We found mom asleep on the sofa.· Deborah, are you asleep?be fast/sound asleep (=sleeping very well): · By the time her father had carried her up to bed, the child was sound asleep.· The baby had been fast asleep ever since we arrived.be half asleep (=nearly asleep): · The old man was half asleep and barely able to respond to the policeman's questions.
also catch up on some sleep to sleep after a period of time when you have not been able to sleep because of illness, worry, work etc: · You must stop worrying and try to get some sleep.· I'll have to finish the job, but I can catch up on some sleep tomorrow night.
British informal to sleep, especially when you are very tired and you need to sleep: · You can have a kip in the car on the way.· There's nothing worse than other people around when you're trying to get some kip.
written sleep - used especially in literature: · He had fallen into a deep slumber by the fire.· The giants awoke from their enchanted slumber.
to start sleeping · Are you two going to stop talking and go to sleep?· I looked over at Dave, but he had gone to sleep.· He lay on the sofa and pretended to go to sleep.go back to sleep (=go to sleep again after waking up) · If I wake up in the night, it takes me ages to go back to sleep.
to go to sleep - use this especially when you do not intend to, when you go to sleep quickly, or when going to sleep has been difficult: · Dad always falls asleep in front of the TV after Sunday lunch.· Has Monica fallen asleep yet?· I must have fallen asleep with the light on last night.fall asleep at the wheel (=while you are driving): · One in seven road accidents is caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
to go to sleep when you do not intend to and sleep lightly for a short time: · Sorry, I must have dozed off for a few minutes.· I was just beginning to doze off when the telephone rang.
to go to sleep easily and peacefully: · At around 12.30, she did eventually drop off for an hour or so.· She kept dropping off for a few minutes, before waking with a start.drop off to sleep: · Janir had dropped off to sleep on the living room couch.
to go to sleep when you are sitting down, especially when you are trying hard to stay awake: · Sarah had almost nodded off when Victor suddenly spoke.· As the speaker droned on, only the occasional nudge from my husband kept me from nodding off.
to go to sleep gradually: · He must have drifted off again, for when he awoke, the train had come to a halt.· She was just starting to drift off, when she heard a scream downstairs.drift off to sleep: · That night as he drifted off to sleep, Quincy tried to imagine what the day would have been like if Marta had been there.
British if someone, especially a baby, is off , they have started sleeping: · Is the baby off yet?· I always wait until he's off before I turn the light out.
informal to go to sleep very quickly and deeply because you are very tired: · I went back to bed, and was out like a light.· After a day on the ranch, you'll be out like a light, I can tell you.
informal to fall asleep very quickly, especially in a place where you do not normally sleep: · "Did you get any sleep last night?" "Yeah, I crashed out as soon as my head hit the pillow."· He'd flaked out on my bed.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY One in seven road accidents is caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel (=falling asleep while driving).COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES I’ll stay with her until she falls asleep. He looked half asleep.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
(=sleeping deeply)
One in seven road accidents is caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel (=falling asleep while driving). I’ll stay with her until she falls asleep. He looked half asleep.· They were almost asleep now, bathed in warm light, half hearing Scriabin on the kitchen radio.· He waited until I was almost asleep and struck again, just above my ear.· Later that evening, when I was almost asleep, the sound of a crowd brought me back to full consciousness.· The patients had all been washed and set up in their chairs and most of them seemed to be almost asleep.· Fergus looked like he was almost asleep.
· I looked in on you a short while ago and you were fast asleep.· When her husband was fast asleep she must leave the bed, light the lamp, and get the knife.· She went back as she had come, fast asleep and docile, her face expressionless.· Heather turned it slightly and saw that he was fast asleep.· They kissed, and Felicity fell fast asleep, tired from her journey.· The second time around, Stafford was fast asleep, wedged in between two large blond businessmen.· When I looked again, he had fallen fast asleep.· He had curled up on to his bed at the first opportunity and fallen fast asleep.
· The old lady nodded, as if half asleep.· He never lost his sense of humor, even when he was half asleep.· Old men with their faces in the page, half asleep, here to escape whatever is out there.
· And in minutes the old man was sound asleep.· And when he got back to his own hotel, Sabina had been sound asleep.· Then I fell sound asleep again.· He and your dad fell sound asleep in the same bed while I read aloud to them.· The minute she got into bed, she was sound asleep.· Most others are still sound asleep.
· My master was still asleep, as he had been the previous evening when I returned from my love tryst.· Husbands and grandparents are still asleep in the bedrooms.· Arty was still asleep, one arm hanging loosely over the side.· And you are still asleep, my sweet friend.· Perhaps Mr d'Urberville was still asleep, as he did not like getting up early.· She was still asleep, or pretending to be, when he got up.· The sleeping man is still asleep and the other has left.· Most people in our car were bound for New Orleans and were still asleep.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- Dad always falls asleep in front of the TV after Sunday lunch.
- Has Monica fallen asleep yet?
- Her three-year-old daughter fell asleep while we talked.
- I must have fallen asleep with the light on last night.
- One in seven road accidents is caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
- Al Gore falls asleep as he makes maiden speech as Vice-President; no-one notices - they're all asleep too.
- Had they fallen asleep, the firemen say, not one of them would have survived.
- He falls asleep in the chair, wakes up startled, afraid for a moment to move.
- He fell asleep dreaming though that Rupert Quashie went to the beach and pushed Collymore down with his gun.
- He seemed to fall asleep, leaning heavily on to Cameron.
- I'd fallen asleep, and now I was awake.
- I fell asleep, and the next thing I knew, some one was waking me.
- Suddenly he gave a frightened start, for he had nearly fallen asleep and the ground below seemed a long distance away.
- Sorry, what did you say? I was half asleep.
- Corporal L, the Royal Signals Operator, is half asleep in his chair.
- He never lost his sense of humor, even when he was half asleep.
- Inside, the Porter was half asleep behind a newspaper.
- It was a hot day, and I think I must have been half asleep when I noticed something very strange.
- Most of the time they were half asleep, chatting about the weather.
- She stayed on top of him, half asleep still.
- Sorcerer felt dazed and half asleep, still dreaming wild dawn dreams.
- The old lady nodded, as if half asleep.
- One in seven road accidents is caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
- Most of the household was still fast asleep.
- Bless him, he was fast asleep on the sofa.
- He had intended to visit Meryl, who was probably fast asleep by now.
- He lay fast asleep, surrounded by flames and smoke.
- Midnight approaches, and those not on duty are fast asleep.
- She went back as she had come, fast asleep and docile, her face expressionless.
- She would have been fast asleep already, but for the Admiral's early-morning call.
- The second time around, Stafford was fast asleep, wedged in between two large blond businessmen.
- When her husband was fast asleep she must leave the bed, light the lamp, and get the knife.
- And when he got back to his own hotel, Sabina had been sound asleep.
- He and your dad fell sound asleep in the same bed while I read aloud to them.
- I would have wakened you earlier but you were sound asleep.
- It's fantastic, John, there she is, a new person, lying on her face, sound asleep.
- The child was sound asleep now, his tiny eyelashes resting on rounded cheeks.
- The minute she got into bed, she was sound asleep.
- Then I fell sound asleep again.
- When Captain and Mrs Burrows came home exhausted after their demanding day all the children would be sound asleep.
WORD FAMILYnounsleepsleepersleepinesssleeplessnessadjectiveasleepsleeplesssleepyadverbsleepilysleeplesslyverbsleep
1sleeping OPP awake: Quiet! The baby’s asleep.fast/sound asleep (=sleeping deeply)2fall asleep a)to begin to sleep: Grandad fell asleep watching TV. One in seven road accidents is caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel (=falling asleep while driving). b) literary used to mean that someone dies, when you want to avoid saying this directly3half asleep very tired or not completely awake: Still half asleep, Jenny began to make the kids’ breakfast.4an arm or leg that is asleep has been in one position for too long, so you cannot feel it properly5asleep at the wheel/switch not paying attention to a situation, so that something bad happens: Several publishers were asleep at the switch, and missed the book’s potential. → go to sleep at sleep2(3)