sleepy

adjective

ˈslē-pē 

sleepier; sleepiest

1

a

: ready to fall asleep

b

: of, relating to, or characteristic of sleep

2

: sluggish as if from sleep : lethargic

also : having little activity

a sleepy coastal village

3

: sleep-inducing

sleepily

ˈslē-pə-lē 

adverb

sleepiness

ˈslē-pē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• dozy
• drowsy
• slumberous
• slumbrous
• somnolent

Examples of sleepy in a Sentence

She felt sleepy and went to bed.

the sleepy children were carried up to bed

Recent Examples on the Web

The trio is tasked with completing magical tasks in order to earn a place back in their sleepy Massachusetts town. —Annabel Gutterman, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024

And that has a lot to do with nourishing your soul and staying in a place of curiosity and not sleepy. —Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Dec. 2024

Cindy Lee: Diamond Jubilee The 32-track magnum opus from the glamorous alter-ego of Canadian musician Patrick Flegel hit the scene like some old movie where a mysterious drifter shows up with their guitar to breathe new life into a sleepy town. —Pitchfork, 3 Dec. 2024

Malcolm made his Instagram debut in December 2021 when the proud parents each shared sleepy snaps of him on Christmas Eve. —Raven Brunner, People.com, 24 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

sleepy

adjective

ˈslē-pē 

sleepier; sleepiest

1

: ready to fall asleep

2

: quietly inactive

a sleepy village

sleepily

-pə-lē 

adverb

sleepiness

-pē-nəs 

noun

Medical Definition

sleepy

adjective

ˈslē-pē 

sleepier; sleepiest

: ready to fall asleep

sleepiness

-pē-nəs 

noun