to fall asleep
452
1.0
- phrasal verb
- /fɔl əˈslip/
- After a long day, I like to read a book until I fall asleep.
- fall asleep at night
- difficulty falling asleep
- trouble falling asleep
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Watch on YouTubeDid that make that process just before you fall asleep quite unpleasant?
- Did that make that process just before you fall asleep quite unpleasant?
- And that's why kids are crashing and falling asleep in class.
- And I know I fell asleep because I did that jerk thing.
- And then she got no replies, got on the plane, fell asleep, and then woke up.
- And the, the deer fell asleep on a game trail.
- Certainly THC helps you fall asleep faster, very clear in the data.
- So generally, like I fell asleep so early the other night.
- Got to my mum's, got in the bed, fell asleep, slept through the alarm.
- You can stay up later, but falling asleep earlier is harder.
Examples
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Dad collapses into bed and falls asleep immediately, a skill he developed as a soldier.
Academic text (2011) -
OK, who is most likely to fall asleep first?
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Can you just hold me until I fall asleep, please?
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When they find it difficult to fall asleep, they get up and walk around in the dark.
Academic text (2003) -
You fell asleep on my shoulder.
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That's one way to fall asleep.
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When some children can't fall asleep, they count sheep.
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I don't want to fall asleep because I'll miss you, babe.
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She always listens to calming music to help her fall asleep at night.
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When I feel tired, I often fall asleep within minutes of lying down.
Synonyms
456
1.0
To stop being awake and rest with your eyes closed
48
2.3
To sleep lightly for a short time without meaning to
31
2.7
To fall asleep for a short time without meaning to
25
3.8
To slowly fall asleep without meaning to
18
4.1
To fall asleep for a short time without meaning to
16
3.8
To sleep lightly or peacefully
9
6.0
To go to bed to sleep
6
7.6
To fall asleep suddenly because you are very tired
3
7.9
To fall asleep by accident because you are very tired
2
3.0
To fall asleep for a short time, often without meaning to
2
6.1
To be half asleep for a short time
1
3.7
To go to bed and fall asleep quickly because you are tired
1
5.5
To begin to fall asleep without meaning to
To go to bed or sleep
Antonyms
How Sleepy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'fall' (to go into) combined with 'asleep' (in a state of sleep) yields 'become asleep/enter a sleep state', so learners who know both words can infer the sense. The pattern verb + state adjective meaning 'become X' is common cross-linguistically and the metaphorical extension to devices ('enter a low-power sleep state') remains transparent.
Etymology
Fall asleep uses fall as a picture: you 'drop' into the state of asleep, like your body sinking into a soft bed. That's why it means 'to begin to sleep'.