1
as in sleeping
desiring or needing sleep
the sleepy children were carried up to bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 sleepy
Her work has taken her to each of Kansas’ 105 counties, challenging her to help communities preserve their history and envision the revitalization of sleepy downtowns.
—
Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Hosting the once sleepy regional economic and security body, Chinese leader Xi Jinping clasped hands with Russia President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and met with 18 other leaders from across the Eurasian continent.
—Jeffrey Prescott, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2025
He’s played with the perfect amount of sleepy charm by the always-great Benicio Del Toro.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Odenkirk plays an unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past who, after moving to a small, sleepy town to take the temp sheriff post, responds to a bank robbery and unknowingly uncovers something far more explosive.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Hosting the once sleepy regional economic and security body, Chinese leader Xi Jinping clasped hands with Russia President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and met with 18 other leaders from across the Eurasian continent.
—Jeffrey Prescott, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2025
He’s played with the perfect amount of sleepy charm by the always-great Benicio Del Toro.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Odenkirk plays an unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past who, after moving to a small, sleepy town to take the temp sheriff post, responds to a bank robbery and unknowingly uncovers something far more explosive.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepy
Adjective
-
The track opens with a provocative guitar riff, setting the stage for a fierce jungle hunt rather than a dull cat-and-mouse game.—
Billboard China,
Billboard,
1 Oct. 2025
-
So much noise, apparently, that Yankees management is pressuring Ticketmaster to keep Sox fans down to a dull roar.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With 2020’s roguelike Hades, Supergiant Games mastered the hypnotic allure of the live-die-repeat cycle by making every attempt have meaning.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Spacey guitar, hypnotic synths and jazzy percussion bubbled under Zardoya's spell-binding vocals.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The episodes feel choppy, hardly letting anything land, yet still feeling slow.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The crowd, quietening into a slow clap with the moment building, burst into a celebration.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Taking minoxidil orally can support the hair follicle cycle and trigger anagen (the resting phase) prematurely.—
Jessie Quinn,
Flow Space,
23 Sep. 2025
-
During the resting phase, hair stops growing and will shed, or fall out.—
Jessica Swirble,
Verywell Health,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Having a big back refers to someone who's physically big, or who draws gentle teasing for hogging food or being lazy.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The best way to relax on a long flight or during a lazy Sunday, in my opinion, is in loungewear.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s nothing quite as soothing as the drowsy calmness that washes over you when your partner runs their hands through your hair.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
-
The DeWine administration cited driver safety as a catalyst for the project: officials noted that truck drivers who can't find a parking spot are known to drive drowsy or pull over to sleep in unsafe areas.—
Annie Goldman,
The Enquirer,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
Hakam appeared motionless, as guests tended to him.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The lengthy pre-copulation stage involved all three sharks motionless on the seafloor for nearly an hour, after which the female started swimming with one male shark biting onto each of her pectoral fins.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Unfortunately, the infectious energy of the scare zone gets completely lost in the lethargic and drowsy maze.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
-
At first, Walters feared the chicken might not survive—describing her as lethargic and depressed.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleepy. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share