1
as in sleeping
desiring or needing sleep
the sleepy children were carried up to bed
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dull
slow to move or act
a sleepy little town on the coast
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3
as in hypnotic
tending to cause sleep
the sleepy drone of his voice made staying awake a challenge
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sleepy
Even that session left me enervated and sleepy.
—
Betsy Andrews, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
On this day in 1943, a body was dropped in the ocean near the sleepy shores of Huelva, Spain.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
The once-sleepy CPU market has taken off as agentic workloads shift compute needs beyond Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs) that have ruled AI thus far.
—Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
One year after Naqvi’s arrest at Heathrow, a media exposé into the working practices at a branch of the Nairobi Women’s Hospital in Nakuru, a sleepy town three hours’ drive from the Kenyan capital, gave a sense of the pressures staff were under during the final months of Abraaj’s ownership.
—Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Betsy Andrews, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
On this day in 1943, a body was dropped in the ocean near the sleepy shores of Huelva, Spain.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
The once-sleepy CPU market has taken off as agentic workloads shift compute needs beyond Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs) that have ruled AI thus far.
—Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
One year after Naqvi’s arrest at Heathrow, a media exposé into the working practices at a branch of the Nairobi Women’s Hospital in Nakuru, a sleepy town three hours’ drive from the Kenyan capital, gave a sense of the pressures staff were under during the final months of Abraaj’s ownership.
—Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepy
Adjective
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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
-
Best gentle shampoo for colored hair This award-winning shampoo and conditioner duo is made with organic rose oil and peaches, which revive dull or fading color.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
-
The Noni Glow Face Oil is Miranda’s favorite, a lightweight yet powerful face oil formulated to help visibly nourish, brighten and smooth dry or dull skin.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The race there begins somberly in the museum before runners bound up one flight of stairs into a hallway that leads into the main stairwell; from there, the steps settle into continuous, shallow right turns providing a repetitive, hypnotic cadence.—
Michelle Sinclair Colman,
Curbed,
7 May 2026
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Elevated rooms—some villas sit on stilts above the jungle floor, giving full treehouse vibes—offer total immersion within the thick, humid jungle, underscored by wild birds, hypnotic cicadas, and the swing of mischievous monkeys.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
But so far, progress has been slow — if not nonexistent.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
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Russia’s bigger and better-equipped army has been engaged in a slow, hard slog in Ukraine.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
That’s because when the body experiences physical stress, including losing weight quickly, more hairs can shift into a resting phase and fall out a few months later — typically two to three months after the event, Rossi explains.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
17 Feb. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Many universities make that experience as deluxe as possible, with posh amenities such as upscale dorms and lazy rivers.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
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Largely true to the novel, the first TV adaptation aims for similar endurance, like it was made for teachers to screen on a lazy Friday afternoon after a week spent discussing the book.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Key Takeaways Allergy medications that cause drowsiness are best taken at night, while non-drowsy options can be taken in the morning or evening.—
T'Keyah Bazin,
Verywell Health,
27 Apr. 2026
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Getting a full eight hours of sleep and still feeling drowsy?—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Suliman stood motionless while Infantino and Rajoub continued an impassioned conversation which lasted several minutes.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The world's first motionless picture.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleepy. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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