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
In particular, Griffin wishes to capture the voice of a local woman who, once Jim arrives in this sleepy but sinister community, turns out to have recently gone missing.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
The Lick On an otherwise unremarkable day, a young woman in a gray Chevy Impala pulled up to the front of a sprawling modern home in a sleepy Florida town.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
At that point, the parasite disrupts brain regions that regulate circadian rhythm, causing patients to become sleepy during the day and awake at night.
—Fran Kritz, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026
Schatzline, a stubbled, sleepy-eyed man in his early thirties, gave an opening prayer.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
The Lick On an otherwise unremarkable day, a young woman in a gray Chevy Impala pulled up to the front of a sprawling modern home in a sleepy Florida town.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
At that point, the parasite disrupts brain regions that regulate circadian rhythm, causing patients to become sleepy during the day and awake at night.
—Fran Kritz, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026
Schatzline, a stubbled, sleepy-eyed man in his early thirties, gave an opening prayer.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 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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The employees of Rockin’ Grandma’s roam the grounds of the retreat site, which boasts multiple structures, and are visited by a series of guest speakers whose lectures range from the merely dull to the truly Dada.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Charvet’s ethos is about discretion, but the clothes are not dull.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The melodic closer had the huge crowd energized and swaying along, as the nearly 50-foot stage, fully adorned in LED lights, beamed hypnotic celestial imagery in neon blue.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Mar. 2026
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Eric Magnuson’s fair gripe in The Atlantic last week pointed me to this hypnotic novella from one of our best fever dreamers.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Affecting the first two receptors means retatrutide may help suppress appetite and slow digestion, which can help users feel full after eating even smaller meals.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Long train rides and other slow travel between places offer exactly the meditative in-between space your nervous system is craving.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 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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Black, white, colorful, graphic—the perfect baggy tee will hold your hand through low-key days at the office, weekends in the park, and your laziest bed-rot days.—
Kelsey Stiegman,
Glamour,
27 Mar. 2026
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The point is to get away from lazy (but practical) System 1 thinking and apply your brain’s full power to seeing through any fraud or deception.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Legal Consequences of Drowsy Driving While drowsy or fatigued driving may not lead to criminal charges as serious as DUI or DWI, a person who is accused of driving unsafely may still face penalties.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Mar. 2026
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Usually, treatment plans start with non-drowsy, second-generation antihistamines such as cetirizine (Zyrtec), loratadine (Claritin), or fexofenadine (Allegra).—
Zia Sherrell,
Health,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The man is later seen lying motionless on the street as bystanders and police attempt to wake him.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
19 Mar. 2026
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Amorado then slashed the motionless Espinoza’s neck with a machete, prosecutors said.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleepy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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