half-asleep
|half-a-sleep|
🇺🇸
/ˌhæfəˈsliːp/
🇬🇧
/ˌhæf.əˈsliːp/
partly asleep; not fully awake
Etymology
'half-asleep' originates from English, specifically the words 'half' and 'asleep', where 'half' comes from Old English 'healf' meaning 'half; one of two equal parts' and 'asleep' developed from Old English 'on slǣpe' (with 'on' later becoming the a- prefix) where 'slǣp' meant 'sleep'.
'asleep' changed from Old English 'on slǣpe' to Middle English 'aslepe' and eventually became the modern English word 'asleep'; 'half-asleep' is a compound formed by joining 'half' + 'asleep' in Late Middle to Early Modern English, producing the modern compound 'half-asleep'.
Initially, it meant 'in a state of partial sleep; half in sleep', and over time it has retained that basic sense while also being used figuratively to mean 'drowsy' or 'not fully attentive'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
partly asleep; drowsy and not fully awake.
She was half-asleep on the sofa.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adverb 1
in a half-asleep manner; in a drowsy or only partly aware way.
He mumbled an answer half-asleep.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/30 09:37