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

• sleeping
• resting
• drowsy
• slumbrous
• somnolent

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 goal is to evolve The Really Useful Group from a sleepy theater company into an entertainment powerhouse with a hand in everything from gaming to movies to consumer products. —Brent Lang, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025

By the time morning arrives in the sleepy hamlet of Maybrook, Pennsylvania only one student, Alexy Lilly (Cary Christopher) remains. —Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025

Exiting the broadband business over time while the other businesses continue to grow could be a plus for the company as it will no longer be viewed as a sleepy broadband communications business. —Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 9 Aug. 2025

The sleepy, mostly residential southeastern Brooklyn neighborhood has a relatively small population. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for sleepy

• creepy
• praecipe
• 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