LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
English → Latin

“asleep” in Latin

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

asleep
in somno: somno. To be asleep, dormire (general term): dormitare (to be in a deep sleep): quiescere (to be at rest after exertion): somnum capere (to fall asleep). A person asleep, dormiens. I have not been asleep all night, somnumego hac nocte oculis non vidi meis (Ter.): totam noctem pervigilavi. To prevent anybody from falling asleep, aliquem somno prohibere. I easily fall asleep, facilis mihi est somnus (opposed to difficilis mihi est somnus). To put or lull asleep, sopire: consopire: alicui somnum afferre, parere, conciliare (PROP.): securum, lentum, or negligentem reddere, or facere (figuratively, of making a personcareless, lazy, etc.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for asleep?
The usual Latin words for “asleep” are somnus, dormiō, dormītō; also quiēscō, sōpiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.