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 of sleepy

• sleeping
• resting
• drowsy

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

Tucked into a hillside in the sleepy Francophone village of Matran, a former seminary now serves as La Maison de Formation et d’Intégration, a transitional center for people under legal protection. —Jessi Jezewska Stevens, New Yorker, 8 June 2026

The upcoming Great Nicobar Project is set to transform this sleepy island into a bustling township over the next three decades. —Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 7 June 2026

Our matinée audiences are sleepy. —Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026

Alexandre Tabaste/Cheval Blanc Paris Alexandre Tabaste Alexandre Tabaste Skip the sleepy districts that house so many of Paris’s plush hotels, and book a private perch with a bird’s eye view of the river and La Samaritaine as your fashion-forward neighbor. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for sleepy

• creepy
• principe

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