sleepy

adjective \ ˈslē-pē \

Definition of sleepy

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

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sleepily

play \ˈslē-pə-lē\ adverb

—

sleepiness

play \ˈslē-pē-nəs\ noun

See sleepy defined for English-language learners

See sleepy defined for kids

Examples of sleepy in a Sentence

She felt sleepy and went to bed.
the sleepy children were carried up to bed

Recent Examples of sleepy from the Web

But when the sleepy clerks roll out carts brimming with past-their-prime breads and pastries, the 60-year-old gets to work.

— maria l. la ganga, idahostatesman, "Couple earns $51,600. His long-term care takes $48,000. She digs in dumpsters for food.," 26 Aug. 2017
Or, for that matter, our heightening nuclear soap opera couldn’t be more diametrically at odds with the sleepy, bucolic town of Bedminster, where Trump made the declaration.

— emily jane fox, The Hive, "Fear and Loathing in Bedminster: On the Ground in the Quiet, Bucolic Town Where Donald Trump Is Toying with Blowing Up the World," 10 Aug. 2017
Medical and educational researchers point to findings that adolescents' biological sleep cycles change during puberty, meaning their bodies are wired not to get sleepy until about 11 p.m.

— allison ross, The Courier-Journal, "Are JCPS, other districts starting too early for teens? Research may be a wake-up call," 19 July 2017
Today, Colmar’s antiques shops welcome browsers, homeowners fuss over their geraniums, and hoteliers hurry down the sleepy streets to pick up fresh croissants in time for breakfast.

— rick steves' europe, The Seattle Times, "Alsace blends the best of France and Germany," 18 July 2017
Why not obligate the local media elsewhere to spend four days acting as if something of vital importance is happening in their town during a sleepy week on the calendar?

— kevin scarbinsky, AL.com, "Take SEC Media Days, leave SEC Baseball and we'll call it even," 14 July 2017
Italian Deli San Gabriel was a place of orange groves surrounding a sleepy mission when Joe and Mary Claro opened the first of their Claro’s Italian Markets here in 1948.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
On a sleepy summer evening, a batch of showers zipped through the Washington region.

— jason samenow, Washington Post, "Photos: Sunday’s sunset in Washington was something special," 3 July 2017
TACOMA, Washington—On an otherwise sleepy, slow work day, ahead of the 4th of July weekend, a mid-sized town about 30 miles outside of Seattle had slammed to a crawl.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Ahead of July 30 season premiere, Rick and Morty tours nation in giant merch bus," 1 July 2017

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

First Known Use of sleepy

13th century

sleepy Synonyms

Synonyms

dozy, drowsy, 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

SLEEPY Defined for English Language Learners

sleepy

adjective

Definition of sleepy for English Language Learners

: tired and ready to fall asleep
: quiet and not active or busy

SLEEPY Defined for Kids

sleepy

adjective \ ˈslē-pē \

Definition of sleepy for Students

sleepier; sleepiest

1 :ready to fall asleep :drowsy

2 :not active, noisy, or busy

a sleepy town

—

sleepiness

noun

Medical Dictionary

sleepy

adjective \ ˈslē-pē \

medical Definition of sleepy

sleepier; sleepiest

:ready to fall asleep

—

sleepiness

play \-pē-nəs\ noun

Learn More about sleepy

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

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Definition of sleepy

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Examples of sleepy in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sleepy from the Web

First Known Use of sleepy

sleepy Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

SLEEPY Defined for English Language Learners

sleepy

Definition of sleepy for English Language Learners

SLEEPY Defined for Kids

sleepy

Definition of sleepy for Students

sleepiness

Medical Dictionary

sleepy

medical Definition of sleepy

sleepiness

Learn More about sleepy

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