1
as in sleeping
desiring or needing sleep
the sleepy children were carried up to bed
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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
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 sleepy
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 sleepy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepy
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
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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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Under the hypnotic spell of singer María Zardoya, whose breathy delivery is part comforting whisper, part secretive rasp, the jazzy dream-pop band used a dusk time slot to seamlessly soundtrack different visions: hiding in a room alone, running into an ex, lusting after a lover.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
4 Aug. 2025
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For the lip, Freedman and Zeta-Jones settled on a deep plum shade, one as equally hypnotic as the colors on her eyes.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
30 July 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
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Collectively, beleaguered grids and logistical challenges means those sweaty nights and lethargic days risk becoming part and parcel of European summers.—
Taco Engelaar,
Fortune,
11 Aug. 2025
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Well, that came to an end in Game 5 as McDavid was slowed as part of a mostly lethargic pace throughout the night.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Alan Fox’s script is rife with clunkers (the somnolent Ilfenesh Hadera, as David’s wife Pam, explains with haunting detail which items of decor on the dining table can be moved where by the police), and the intrusive score is the equivalent of garish wall-to-wall carpeting.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
20 May 2025
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While there are a half-dozen or so worthy books on the list, most of them are somnolent doctoral theses that probably should not have been acquired in the first place.—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleepy. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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