1
as in sleeping
desiring or needing sleep
the sleepy children were carried up to bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sleepy
But in recent years, the once-sleepy Australian lookout has found itself at the center of a global social media storm.
—
Trista Kurniawan, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
The accoutrements have been carefully hand-hewn and gilded, boasting an attractive luster and the faces of a sun puckering her lips plus two sleepy moons on the earrings.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
On the contrary, drinking kava makes the user feel relaxed and even sleepy.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
After the performance, everyone returned to trudge through the latter half of the sleepy game.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Trista Kurniawan, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
The accoutrements have been carefully hand-hewn and gilded, boasting an attractive luster and the faces of a sun puckering her lips plus two sleepy moons on the earrings.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
On the contrary, drinking kava makes the user feel relaxed and even sleepy.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
After the performance, everyone returned to trudge through the latter half of the sleepy game.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepy
Adjective
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So is, arguably in softer garb, the trend of trigger warnings, which—mirroring the grim cancer label on a pack of cigarettes—dull the impact of a product or dissuade users entirely by advising them that its consumption may be hazardous to their health.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
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These may just be the ordinary, dull rhythms of a relatively stable relationship, and yet these actors make the mundane so much more.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Luhrmann has also unearthed some hypnotic clips of Elvis performing live in Hawaii in 1957, wearing a shimmering gold jacket, his neck ringed with a lei.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
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But his hypnotic voice poured through the phone.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But that boost also didn’t last long – 2025 was marked mostly by Russia’s slow, grinding offensive along the 1,200-kilometer-long frontline.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Implementing peace deals is notoriously difficult, so slow progress can be expected.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Taking minoxidil orally can support the hair follicle cycle and trigger anagen (the resting phase) prematurely.—
Jessie Quinn,
Flow Space,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Their latest establishment is our top off-mountain pick for daily brunch (a great start to any lazy ski day) and Thursday-to-Saturday evening fare.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
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Specialty shops, coffee shops, boutiques and restaurants could share 200 acres of trails, pocket parks, wooded landscapes and a lazy creek with a combination of residential options.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Afternoons here are deliciously drowsy, spent dozing in the shade, gently parting calm sea water, or gliding past craggy rock formations in a little motor-boat.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
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When a clumsy neighbor passes by or predatory seabirds are near, the penguin parent blinks to alert attention and soon dozes off again, its chin nodding against its chest, like a drowsy driver.—
Nicky Forster,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Investigators later determined the four officers fired nearly 100 shots, including three that were fired as Reed — a former standout basketball player at Westinghouse College Prep high school — was lying motionless on the ground.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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One on a stoop and two on a corner and four motionless on a sidewalk and—down the block, the reflective vests of the volunteers in pairs walking the school patrol, to keep the kids from the K-5 safe from ICE.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After noticing the kids were lethargic and that the gummy worms contained THC, the woman took them to the hospital, according to a police report.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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The film’s rhythm turns lethargic as Kellou has to deal with her promise to take care of Aya, and while the audience is taken on a long journey where some of Kellou’s visions come true, nothing dramatic actually happens.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleepy. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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