sleepier; sleepiest
Synonyms of sleepynext
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 adverb
sleepiness noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The End of Vandalism, first published in 1994 and reissued in 2006, takes place in (fictional) Grouse County, Iowa, skipping between residents of the sleepy setting, paying meticulous attention to the daily struggles and triumphs of everyone on whom its narrative gaze rests. Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025 His body, however, was never retrieved, and townsfolk continued to blame him for the murder of Chrissy Cunningham and the spooky events that followed in the once sleepy Midwest town. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025 Cooking dinner side by side in our kitchen, sharing a sleepy elevator ride with our neighbors in the evening, hearing music and laughter vibrate through the walls of the apartment. Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025 Ivette Granados, a travel guide based in Loreto, says many visitors confuse the city for a sleepy beach town. Annabelle Canela, Parents, 7 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sleepy

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleepy was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleepy. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

sleepy

adjective
sleepier; sleepiest
1
: ready to fall asleep
2
: quietly inactive
a sleepy village
sleepily adverb
sleepiness noun

Medical Definition

sleepy

adjective
sleepier; sleepiest
: ready to fall asleep
sleepiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sleepy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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