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
Once a sleepy segment of the overall business, the unit sells power generators, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines that produce electricity for buildings, factories and data centers.
—
Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
Did the dates and times printed on these sleepy flyers arrive at some juncture somewhere in the world, and did children really congregate to do science experiments?
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
For a Gulf investor, grid modernisation is no longer a sleepy utility play.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
All this, while equity indexes have held near record highs, corporate-debt spreads are subdued and bond-market volatility remains sleepy.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
Did the dates and times printed on these sleepy flyers arrive at some juncture somewhere in the world, and did children really congregate to do science experiments?
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
For a Gulf investor, grid modernisation is no longer a sleepy utility play.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
All this, while equity indexes have held near record highs, corporate-debt spreads are subdued and bond-market volatility remains sleepy.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepy
Adjective
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But all work and no play can make for a dull chief medical officer.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
30 Jan. 2026
-
People living in Bridgeville were excited to see dull pavement.—
Chris Hoffman,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Universal wrapped the coaster cars in a hypnotic geometric black-and-white zebra design to obscure the ride vehicles.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
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Other artists of this era sought to intervene, guerrilla style, in the apparatuses of advertising, in order to shake consumers from their hypnotic slumber.—
Michael Cowan,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The studio believes that February, once seen as a slow month for moviegoing, has become a much more lucrative corridor to release films.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
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What was once a slow squeeze has become an acute system failure for patients statewide.—
Andrew Hevesi,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Taking minoxidil orally can support the hair follicle cycle and trigger anagen (the resting phase) prematurely.—
Jessie Quinn,
Flow Space,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Fighting inflation by raising interest rates is lazy policy.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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Not to sound lazy, but there are some pretty neat inventions that have come along to make this process much easier.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But President Trump’s decision to acknowledge a covert U.S. strike on Venezuelan territory, in an interview with an obscure local news outlet on Friday, set off a scramble in a drowsy Washington that has become a hallmark of the president.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2025
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But on his debut solo album, Heavy Metal, the rising art-rock star reveals his hand as a singer-songwriter extraordinaire, toning things down and slipping into a drowsy falsetto.—
Jason Lamphier,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Video footage that circulated on social media shows the tourist lying motionless on the snowy ground, with the leopard sitting nearby.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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Footage shows a woman, who reportedly edged as close as 10 feet to the leopard, lying motionless in the snow as the predator hovered nearby after the mauling.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Gardner played as an energetic pest throughout, something the Heat needed amid a lethargic performance, closing with 12 points and 11 rebounds.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
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During the meeting, which Castro said lasted about 30 minutes, Liam appeared lethargic and slept in his father's arms, according to Castro.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleepy. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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