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

• dozy
• drowsy
• slumberous
• 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

When Tommy leaves to bring his sleepy son home, Maria revisits her and Joel’s conversation about refugees. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 18 May 2025

Photos of my kid's birthday parties are no longer me with bleary, sleepy drinking eyes. —Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025

Three Days in Clamecy Indeed, this sleepy little town was so unprepared for its trickle of summer visitors that there hadn’t been a single rental car available during our visit. —Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2025

For a week, teams from a dozen countries descended on Tzaneen, the sleepy farming town near Polokwane where Ms. Ntsanwisi grew up. —Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 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