drowsy

play

adjective \ ˈdrau̇-zē \

Definition of drowsy

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

play \-zə-lē\ adverb

—

drowsiness

play \-zē-nəs\ noun

See drowsy defined for English-language learners

See drowsy defined for kids

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 of drowsy from the Web

Young babies with extreme urea cycle disorder may refuse to eat, breathe rapidly, vomit or be drowsy.

— max londberg, kansascity, "Bodybuilders beware: Aussie’s protein intake may have contributed to her death," 16 Aug. 2017
About 20 percent of car crashes are attributed to drowsy driving, and the majority of these (55 percent) involve drivers aged 25 and under.

— Philly.com, "How can adults save teens from drowsy driving crashes?," 15 Aug. 2017
As the drowsy sunbaked daze of August dampens appetites and ambition, only dishes that allow for minimum effort will do.

— christina pérez, Vogue, "A Lush Green Soup for Lazy Summer Days: Lexie Smith’s Avocado Cucumber Gazpacho," 11 Aug. 2017
Anyone who doesn’t respond to it — that drowsy mouth turned down at the corners, those alert, quizzical eyes — is probably untrustworthy as a human being.

— stephanie zacharek, Time, "Jeanne Moreau Was an Actress Who Helped Define the New Wave, and Went Beyond," 31 July 2017
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that at least 100,000 accidents reported to US police are the result of drowsy driving.

— sandee lamotte, CNN, "Sacrificing sleep? Here's what it will do to your health," 19 July 2017
Huffington got to know Kalanick when Uber partnered with Thrive Global, her incipient wellness company, in a campaign against drowsy driving, stopping at college campuses in Chicago, the Bay Area, Las Vegas, Nashville, and Denver.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "What’s Arianna’s Endgame at Uber?," 26 June 2017
The medication interfered with John Spears' diabetes and made him drowsy, his wife told the court.

— michelle hunter, NOLA.com, "Defendant says he blacked out during fatal Kenner workplace shooting," 15 June 2017
Happily, the main attractions are still the drowsy dolce vita atmosphere, great seafood restaurants—

— alexander lobrano, Town & Country, "The Ultimate Mediterranean Bucket List," 2 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drowsy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of drowsy

see ¹drowse

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1530

See Words from the same year

drowsy Synonyms

Synonyms

dozy, sleepy, slumberous (or slumbrous), somnolent

Antonyms

alert, awake, conscious, wakeful, wide-awake

Related Words

asleep, dormant, dozing, resting, sleeping, slumbering; nodding, yawning

Near Antonyms

restive, restless, sleepless; insomniac

DROWSY Defined for English Language Learners

drowsy

play

adjective

Definition of drowsy for English Language Learners

: tired and ready to fall asleep
: causing you to feel relaxed and ready to sleep

DROWSY Defined for Kids

drowsy

play

adjective \ ˈdrau̇-zē \

Definition of drowsy for Students

drowsier; drowsiest

1 :ready to fall asleep

2 :causing sleepiness

drowsy music

—

drowsily

\-zə-lē\ adverb

“Lights out,” said the Centipede drowsily.
—Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach

—

drowsiness

\-zē-nəs\ noun

Medical Dictionary

drowsy

play

adjective \ ˈdrau̇-zē \

medical Definition of drowsy

drowsier; drowsiest

:ready to fall asleep :sleepy

—

drowsily

play \-zə-lē\ adverb

—

drowsiness

play \-zē-nəs\ noun

Learn More about drowsy

See words that rhyme with drowsy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for drowsy Spanish Central: Translation of drowsy Nglish: Translation of drowsy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of drowsy for Arabic speakers

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Examples of drowsy in a Sentence

Recent Examples of drowsy from the Web

Origin and Etymology of drowsy

drowsy Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

DROWSY Defined for English Language Learners

drowsy

Definition of drowsy for English Language Learners

DROWSY Defined for Kids

drowsy

Definition of drowsy for Students

drowsily

drowsiness

Medical Dictionary

drowsy

medical Definition of drowsy

drowsily

drowsiness

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