drowsier; drowsiest
1
a
: ready to fall asleep
The pills made her drowsy.
b
: inducing or tending to induce sleep
drowsy music
c
: indolent, lethargic
drowsy bureaucrats
2
: giving the appearance of peaceful inactivity
a drowsy village
drowsily adverb
drowsiness noun

Examples of drowsy in a Sentence

We spent a drowsy afternoon by the pool. the drowsy students shuffled into the first-period class
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Each of the systems is trained to pick up on different combinations of signs that a driver is drowsy. IEEE Spectrum, 26 Nov. 2024 None of these measures will fly if the beliefs around drowsy driving do not change. Lieke Ten Brummelhuis, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 The movie itself is overwhelmingly standard — just that title alone makes one drowsy — and the only actor showing any real energy here is Pine, who would never end up playing the role again anyway. Will Leitch, Vulture, 1 July 2024 Engaging in risky driving behaviors such as speeding, texting, driving while drowsy or distracted, or driving under the influence of cannabis or alcohol significantly increases the risk of a collision. Ed Garsten, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for drowsy 

Word History

Etymology

see drowse entry 1

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of drowsy was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near drowsy

Cite this Entry

“Drowsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drowsy. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

drowsy

adjective
drowsier; drowsiest
1
: ready to fall asleep
2
: making one sleepy
a drowsy afternoon
drowsily adverb
drowsiness noun

Medical Definition

drowsy

adjective
drowsier; drowsiest
: ready to fall asleep : sleepy
drowsily adverb
drowsiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on drowsy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!