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

The Hawkeyes were taking on (the) Ohio State University last weekend in the biggest event of the year for sleepy Iowa City, and this New Englander wanted to tailgate at a Big Ten college football game. — Carine Hajjar, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026

On the afternoon of October 3, a crowd of unhappy protesters gathered along a busy street in the heart of Huntington, New York, a sleepy suburb along the northern coast of Long Island. — Adam B. Vary, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026

The neighborhood/area The fishing village of Conca dei Marini remains a lovely reminder of what this whole coast was once like—sleepy, charming, lost in time. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

But with nearly half of the roster sidelined because of injuries or resting, Adou Thiero at least tried to inject some life into a sleepy second night of back-to-back preseason games. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 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