1
as in sleeping
desiring or needing sleep
the sleepy children were carried up to bed
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2
as in dull
slow to move or act
a sleepy little town on the coast
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3
as in hypnotic
tending to cause sleep
the sleepy drone of his voice made staying awake a challenge
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4
as in slow
lacking in gaiety, movement, or animation
a sleepy party that was mostly attended by the same boring people I work with
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sleepy
This sleepy surface conceals the racial and religious tensions between locals and the transient workers who cross the border for employment.
—
Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2026
In the sleepier portions, Morris and Rodriguez are left to deliver straight-shooting energy, and Janet and Robbie become the show’s most likable characters.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
The new hub is accelerating development along the otherwise sleepy corridor connecting Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 19 May 2026
Judicial contests Georgia Supreme Court races are usually sleepy affairs, so overlooked that no incumbent justice has lost reelection in more than a century.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2026
In the sleepier portions, Morris and Rodriguez are left to deliver straight-shooting energy, and Janet and Robbie become the show’s most likable characters.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
The new hub is accelerating development along the otherwise sleepy corridor connecting Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 19 May 2026
Judicial contests Georgia Supreme Court races are usually sleepy affairs, so overlooked that no incumbent justice has lost reelection in more than a century.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepy
Adjective
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An autopsy showed that the infant died from asphyxiation secondary to a co-sleeping/overlay event with an unsafe sleeping environment.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But Pace says its AI agents can handle the dull work that insurers typically outsource to massive offshore human call centers.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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Many things work in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’s favor, distinguishing it from some of the duller comps in the past several years.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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The haunting and hypnotic story follows stepbrothers Niall (Mitchell Robertson as a teen, Jamie Bell as an adult) and Ruben (Stuart Campell as a teen, Gadd as an adult) over 30 years, as their uneasy yet unshakeable bond becomes an increasingly toxic relationship.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
29 May 2026
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Bay Area content creator Kane Parsons pushes back on conventional storytelling, and his hypnotic approach results in one of 2026’s most exhilarating debuts, a existential head trip that GoPros us into a human subconscious besieged by misshapen memories that trap and hold you hostage.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Recovery of the bodies has been slow because of the chemicals and other hazards present at the site, Amos explained.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
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One of the most painful things about this disease is knowing that promising treatments are emerging, but funding barriers and manufacturing and procedural slow-downs continue to derail progress.—
Elise Esposito,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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That’s because when the body experiences physical stress, including losing weight quickly, more hairs can shift into a resting phase and fall out a few months later — typically two to three months after the event, Rossi explains.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
17 Feb. 2026
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This is a condition where, due to stress or hormonal changes, the body puts the hair follicles into a resting phase.—
Essence,
Essence,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Inevitability can make companies lazy, investors less disciplined and entire industries mistake hype for adoption.—
Hebron Sher,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
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This is an off-duty look perfect for meeting up with friends, especially on lazy mornings.—
Kelsey Stiegman,
Glamour,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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Allergy drugs can ease those symptoms and make people drowsy, potentially offering relief from insomnia.—
Kara Smythe,
EverydayHealth.com,
15 May 2026
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Fleets that deployed the company's AI dash cams, which detect drowsy or distracted driving, saw a 73% reduction in accidents after 30 months, according to company data from more than 2,600 customers.—
TIME Contributors,
Time,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The February air was motionless, intangible.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
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Ambush hunting enables energy conservation while minimizing the risks associated with pursuit; remaining motionless in water for hours also costs comparatively little.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleepy. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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