GUSSU-RI ぐっすり
Meanings
Describes sleeping deeply and soundly, without being easily disturbed.
Examples
I slept soundly last night, so I feel great this morning.
昨日はぐっすり眠れたので、今朝はとても気分がいい。
I gave him the medicine, so he should be fast asleep by now.
薬を飲ませたので、今頃あいつはぐっすり寝ているはずさ。
Dogmatic Opinion
GUSSU-RI is most often used together with NERU or NEMURU—“sleep.”
Whether the sleep is healthy and natural or has been induced by medicine, I imagine a state deep enough that small outside stimuli will not wake the sleeper. At the same time, the person is still simply asleep and will eventually wake up.
That is why I would not use GUSSU-RI for someone unconscious in an intensive-care unit or for someone who has died.
It is also not merely a matter of sleeping for a long time. The important feeling is deep, uninterrupted sleep without repeatedly waking or being distracted.
Proximate Expression
Sleep deeply(soundly)
deep/sound/good sleep
profound sleep
sleep like a log
Related Words
For Japanese Learners
Sleep soundly and sleep deeply are the standard translations. Fast asleep can also work when describing the state rather than the manner of sleeping. GUSSU-RI is extremely common in the pattern GUSSU-RI NERU/NEMURU and implies genuine sleep, not unconsciousness or death.
