asleep

In a deep, immovable sleep. I was dead asleep after my 12-hour shift; I didn't even hear the neighbor's car alarm going off!

In a deep, sound sleep. "Fast" in this instance means "secure or fixed firmly in place," rather than "moving quickly." I had an 18-hour shift at the warehouse, so I was fast asleep in no time when I finally got into bed.

To fail to attend to one's responsibilities or duties; to be inattentive to that which is important or for which one is responsible. Johnson was supposed to make sure the paperwork went through before the deadline, but it looks like he was asleep at the wheel. Our goalkeeper is such a nincompoop. We would have won that match if he hadn't been asleep at the wheel!

To fail to attend to one's responsibilities or duties; to be inattentive to that which is important or for which one is responsible. Johnson was supposed to make sure the paperwork went through before the deadline, but it looks like he fell asleep at the wheel. Our goalkeeper is such a nincompoop. We would have won that match if he hadn't fallen asleep at the wheel!

To fail to attend to one's responsibilities or duties; to be inattentive to that which is important or for which one is responsible. Johnson was supposed to make sure the paperwork went through before the deadline, but it looks like he fell asleep at the switch. Our goalkeeper is such a nincompoop. We would have won that match if he hadn't fallen asleep at the switch!

To surprise someone who is normally alert, shrewd, or on-guard. Primarily heard in US. You want to try to steal your transcript from the principal's office? You never catch a weasel asleep—and especially not that one!

Fig. not attending to one's job; failing to do one's duty at the proper time. (Alludes to a technician or engineer on a train sleeping instead of turning whatever switches are required. *Typically: be ~; fall ~.) The security guard fell asleep at the switch and a robber broke in. If I hadn't been asleep at the switch, I'd have noticed the car being stolen.

Fig. to go to sleep. I fell asleep while reading the very dull book. I got in bed and fell asleep at once.

completely asleep; in a deep sleep. I was sound asleep when the fire broke out.

in a deep sleep He knew she would be sound asleep after an exhausting day of work.

not paying attention asleep at the wheel Health experts were asleep at the switch when the disease began to spread rapidly again.

not paying attention asleep at the switch Why was our government asleep at the wheel when the crisis began?

if someone is asleep at the switch, they are not ready to act quickly to avoid problems and do their job well Let's face it, if employees were stealing all that money, then management was asleep at the switch.

Also, asleep at the wheel. Inattentive, not doing one's job, as in At the critical moment the watchman was asleep at the switch and only called the fire department when it was too late . This term came from 19th-century American railroading, when it was the trainman's duty to switch cars from one track to another by means of manually operated levers. Should he fail to do so, trains could collide. It was later transferred to any lack of alertness. The wheel in the variant is a steering wheel; similarly disastrous results are implied.

Go to sleep; also, cease paying attention. For example, As soon as the lights were dimmed he fell asleep, or His lectures are so dull that I fall asleep. The literal usage, which uses the verb fall in the sense of "succumb," dates from about 1300; the figurative is several centuries newer. Also see asleep at the switch.