1. in a state of sleep: "she had been asleep for over three hours"Similarsleepingfast asleepsound asleepslumberingnappingcatnappingdozingrestingreposingdrowsingdormantcomatoseinformal:snoozingdead to the worldflat outkippingout like a lightin the land of Nodliterary:in the arms of MorpheusOppositeawake
▪ not attentive or alert; inactive: "the competition was not asleep"