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 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.
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 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 25 May. 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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