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
Relevance
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
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.
Recent Examples of sleepiness
Andee Tagle, NPR, 15 Jan. 2026
In a clinical study of tradipitant, side effects were infrequent and mild, with a small percent of users reporting sleepiness and fatigue.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Erica Sloan, SELF, 6 Mar. 2026
The sleepy performance prompted glances among people in the gallery.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepiness
Noun
Your balloon fills up with sleepiness throughout the day.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 15 Jan. 2026
In a clinical study of tradipitant, side effects were infrequent and mild, with a small percent of users reporting sleepiness and fatigue.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Outside of these scenarios, taking melatonin may not have as much upside—your brain is already making the melatonin that signals sleepy time each evening, and adding more simply presses the same button.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 6 Mar. 2026
The sleepy performance prompted glances among people in the gallery.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepiness
Noun
-
By evening, levels of a hormone called melatonin begin to surge, triggering drowsiness.—
Lauran Neergaard,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
By evening, levels of a hormone called melatonin begin to surge, triggering drowsiness.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
An autopsy showed that the infant died from asphyxiation secondary to a co-sleeping/overlay event with an unsafe sleeping environment.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The news went wild on Twitter, with people meme-ing the hell out of the exceedingly dull headline.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
-
If your home is primarily filled with neutrals and feels a bit dull, try introducing a few colorful accents.—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Their apps seem clearly designed, much like TikTok and Candy Crush, to keep users scrolling and tapping in a hypnotic stupor.—
McKay Coppins,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
-
See it in a theatre now, and let every majestic desert vista and hypnotic beat of Kangding Ray’s music (inexplicably overlooked for Best Original Score) burn itself into your memory.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Experiencing that life cycle of knowing where my food comes from and watching my uncles do the butchering and then eating it the same day through slow roasting was really impactful for me as a kid.—
Claire Salinda,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Perhaps both movements could have animated each other; perhaps the subsequent fight for women’s suffrage would have been less sporadic and slow.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But for activities that involve roughly 90 minutes of continuous effort, according to Fray, rapid carbohydrate and electrolyte delivery can help delay fatigue.—
Marisa McMillan,
Outside,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The wheels fell off in the game’s final minutes, with the Bulls’ lead ballooning to as many as 25 points and capitalizing on Charlotte’s fatigue.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This is a condition where, due to stress or hormonal changes, the body puts the hair follicles into a resting phase.—
Essence,
Essence,
19 Dec. 2025
-
Taking minoxidil orally can support the hair follicle cycle and trigger anagen (the resting phase) prematurely.—
Jessie Quinn,
Flow Space,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For decades, road-trippers zoomed right past Wimberley, Texas—with its scenic vistas, untamed terrain, lazy tubing rivers, blooming wildflower fields, and tiny but tight-knit community.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Float down a natural lazy river.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleepiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleepiness. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
