Asleep At The Wheel

Pronunciation: /əˈslip ət ðə wil/

Definitions of asleep at the wheel

noun a person who is driving a vehicle while asleep

Example Sentences

A1 I fell asleep at the wheel while driving home.

A2 The driver was caught asleep at the wheel during the long journey.

B1 It is dangerous to be asleep at the wheel, especially on highways.

B2 The company faced a lawsuit after one of their employees was found asleep at the wheel.

C1 The politician was accused of being asleep at the wheel during the crisis.

C2 The CEO's lack of action was seen as being asleep at the wheel in terms of company strategy.

preposition indicating the location or position of the person in relation to the steering wheel

Example Sentences

A1 He fell asleep at the wheel and crashed the car.

A2 She was so tired that she almost fell asleep at the wheel.

B1 The driver was found to be asleep at the wheel, causing the accident.

B2 The company's CEO was criticized for being asleep at the wheel during the financial crisis.

C1 The government was accused of being asleep at the wheel when it came to regulating the industry.

C2 The pilot was caught asleep at the wheel during a long-haul flight, putting passengers at risk.

Examples of asleep at the wheel in a Sentence

formal The CEO was criticized for being asleep at the wheel while the company faced a major crisis.

informal I can't believe you fell asleep at the wheel during the meeting!

slang Don't be asleep at the wheel when it comes to your responsibilities.

figurative The government seems to be asleep at the wheel when it comes to addressing climate change.

Grammatical Forms of asleep at the wheel

• past tense: fell asleep at the wheel
• plural: asleep at the wheels
• comparative: more asleep at the wheel
• superlative: most asleep at the wheel
• present tense: is asleep at the wheel
• future tense: will be asleep at the wheel
• perfect tense: has been asleep at the wheel
• continuous tense: is being asleep at the wheel
• singular: asleep at the wheel
• positive degree: very asleep at the wheel
• infinitive: to be asleep at the wheel
• gerund: being asleep at the wheel
• participle: having been asleep at the wheel

Origin and Evolution of asleep at the wheel

First Known Use: 1903 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'asleep at the wheel' originated from the literal act of falling asleep while driving a vehicle.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase has evolved to be used metaphorically to describe someone who is not paying attention or is negligent in their responsibilities.