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.
Ferries make regular runs to the sleepy island community located 40 or so miles off the coast of the New England mainland — weather permitting, of course. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 15 June 2026 The result is that most contests for judicial seats are pretty sleepy, with candidates limiting themselves to speeches and mailers listing their qualifications rather than attacking their opponents. Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2026 All three vicars show a passion not just for ministering to their flock but for helping Geordie solve an unending series of murders and crimes of passion in the sleepy village of Grantchester and the worldly nearby city of Cambridge. Pat Saperstein, Variety, 14 June 2026 One meteor that plunged into the sleepy British town of Winchcombe in 2021 — leaving a sizable dent in a family’s driveway — was found to have a D/H ratio that almost perfectly matched that of Earth’s oceans. Quanta Magazine, 12 June 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleepy. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.

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

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