as in drowsiness
the quality or state of desiring or needing sleep
the truck driver keeps a thermos of coffee with him to stave off sleepiness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in sleeping
desiring or needing sleep
the sleepy children were carried up to bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dull
slow to move or act
a sleepy little town on the coast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hypnotic
tending to cause sleep
the sleepy drone of his voice made staying awake a challenge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in slow
lacking in gaiety, movement, or animation
a sleepy party that was mostly attended by the same boring people I work with
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sleepiness
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
The protagonist Melba lives in Dan, a sleepy village where the rules of physics, grammar, and cause and effect have all quietly retired.
—Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2025
Lithuania Dividing the Baltic Sea from the Curonian Lagoon, this 60-mile peninsula is a place of shifting dunes, sleepy fishing villages, and forest trails where wild boar sometimes wander.
—Becca Blond, AFAR Media, 1 Aug. 2025
Based in a sleepy English village, the company started out by refurbishing BMC A-series engines, then moved on to complete Mini restorations.
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleepiness
Adjective
The new show, which premieres on Sept. 4 on Peacock, follows new editor-in-chief Ned Sampson’s (Domhnall Gleeson) ambitions to revitalize a sleepy Midwest town’s struggling newspaper, the Toledo Truth Teller.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
The protagonist Melba lives in Dan, a sleepy village where the rules of physics, grammar, and cause and effect have all quietly retired.
—Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2025
Lithuania Dividing the Baltic Sea from the Curonian Lagoon, this 60-mile peninsula is a place of shifting dunes, sleepy fishing villages, and forest trails where wild boar sometimes wander.
—Becca Blond, AFAR Media, 1 Aug. 2025
Based in a sleepy English village, the company started out by refurbishing BMC A-series engines, then moved on to complete Mini restorations.
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleepiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepiness
Adjective
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The shampoo won't clean as well and can leave behind residue that makes your hair look dull and lifeless.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Aug. 2025
-
With major season getting over, August is dull, and McIlroy's absence has become a lightning rod for debates about player responsibility and the Tour's authority.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Heretic Dirty Vanilla does just that, surrounding a vanilla note with woods and vetiver for a hypnotic, slightly animalic scent.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
13 Aug. 2025
-
The result is a magnificent mess: hypnotic to watch, brimming with ideas, and strangely hollow.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Three organic meats are on offer for Sunday roast: slow roasted Black Angus, with creamed horseradish; succulent Tamworth Pork with bramley apple sauce and Texel Lamb with a classic mint sauce.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Burrow hopes that feeling the rush and gaining real reps working the pocket will help lessen the impact of opening-week clunkers that contributed to the team’s slow starts.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
From a physiological point of view, fatigue is associated with a rise in cortisol, the neuromediator that reflects our resilience to emotional or physical stress.—
Mélanie Defouilloy,
Vogue,
6 Aug. 2025
-
To be clear, however, your fatigue probably wouldn’t be isolated to mealtimes if this were the case.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
During the resting phase, hair stops growing and will shed, or fall out.—
Jessica Swirble,
Verywell Health,
10 July 2025
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Telogen Stage The telogen stage of the hair cycle is a resting phase, during which the hair doesn't grow, and the follicle is dormant.1 About 10% to 15% of the hairs on your body are in this resting phase at any one time, which typically lasts for a few months.—
Nancy LeBrun,
Verywell Health,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Nearby, Splash Resort draws families and retirees alike with spacious, beachfront units and kid-friendly perks like an indoor water park, a lazy river, and a dive-in movie theater.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 2025
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In water, adults enjoy Aurora’s partnership with SCUBA SHACK, Anguilla’s only PADI 5-Star Dive Resort, while kids find their heaven at the massive waterpark, complete with slides and a lazy river.—
Baz Dreisinger,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Almost 700 crashes have been caused by drowsy semi-truck drivers statewide since 2015, resulting in around 350 injuries and two fatalities, according to the release.—
Annie Goldman,
The Enquirer,
31 July 2025
-
The driver in a crash along Interstate 25 near Mead that closed the roadway for 11 hours on May 29 appeared to be drowsy, according to a Colorado State Patrol crash report.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
4 June 2025
Noun
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The people went to the emergency department with tachycardia, confusion, anxiety or somnolence, and nausea after eating gummy candies labeled as containing Amanita muscaria mushrooms.—
Beth Mole,
Ars Technica,
19 July 2024
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Organized labor shows corporate managements who’s the boss: This year continued the strengthening of union power after decades of somnolence.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Dec. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Sleepiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleepiness. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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