drowsy

adjective

ˈdrau̇-zē 

drowsier; drowsiest

1

a

: ready to fall asleep

The pills made her drowsy.

b

: inducing or tending to induce sleep

drowsy music

c

: indolent, lethargic

drowsy bureaucrats

2

: giving the appearance of peaceful inactivity

a drowsy village

drowsily

ˈdrau̇-zə-lē 

adverb

drowsiness

ˈdrau̇-zē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• sleepy
• sleeping
• resting

Examples of drowsy in a Sentence

We spent a drowsy afternoon by the pool.

the drowsy students shuffled into the first-period class

Recent Examples on the Web

The DeWine administration cited driver safety as a catalyst for the project: officials noted that truck drivers who can't find a parking spot are known to drive drowsy or pull over to sleep in unsafe areas. —Annie Goldman, The Enquirer, 31 July 2025

Yet the car will likely obey speed limits, never get drowsy or drunk and never rubberneck or give in to road rage. —Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 22 June 2025

Preparation through adequate rest is an important part of avoiding drowsy driving, which could be fatal according to NHTSA. —Charles Singh, Nashville Tennessean, 9 May 2025

Safety upgrades include a lane-centering system, a surround-view camera system, rear automatic braking, forward collision warning with automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, lane departure warning and a drowsy driver monitor. —James Raia, Mercury News, 18 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

see drowse entry 1

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for drowsy

• lousy

Kids Definition

drowsy

adjective

ˈdrau̇-zē 

drowsier; drowsiest

1

: ready to fall asleep

2

: making one sleepy

a drowsy afternoon

drowsily

-zə-lē 

adverb

drowsiness

-zē-nəs 

noun

Medical Definition

drowsy

adjective

ˈdrau̇-zē 

drowsier; drowsiest

: ready to fall asleep : sleepy

drowsily

-zə-lē 

adverb

drowsiness

-zē-nəs 

noun