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
This may seem like a sleepy campaign to people not in the middle of it, but much is at stake.
—
Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2025
The story itself is stripped to bone and sinew: a sleepy New England beach town that wants tourist dollars more than truth, an invisible killer in plain water, and three men — one scared sheriff, one cocky scientist, one Ahab of a fisherman — set adrift to settle nature’s score.
—Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 19 June 2025
Twenty-two minutes from Ronda by car, the sleepy village of Montecorto—in the hills of the Serranía de Ronda—houses Finca La Donaira, a century-old cortijo (farmhouse) turned nine-room eco-retreat and equestrian center.
—Jessica Benavides Canepa, AFAR Media, 4 June 2025
Gilroy, which is usually a sleepy town, comes alive during the festival, as locals are joined by travelers from across California and the country.
—Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2025
The story itself is stripped to bone and sinew: a sleepy New England beach town that wants tourist dollars more than truth, an invisible killer in plain water, and three men — one scared sheriff, one cocky scientist, one Ahab of a fisherman — set adrift to settle nature’s score.
—Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 19 June 2025
Twenty-two minutes from Ronda by car, the sleepy village of Montecorto—in the hills of the Serranía de Ronda—houses Finca La Donaira, a century-old cortijo (farmhouse) turned nine-room eco-retreat and equestrian center.
—Jessica Benavides Canepa, AFAR Media, 4 June 2025
Gilroy, which is usually a sleepy town, comes alive during the festival, as locals are joined by travelers from across California and the country.
—Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepy
Adjective
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And what often emerges instead is a dull kind of numbness, chronic irritability or total withdrawal.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Get rid of dull and dirty razor heads (which should no longer be used) and pair your bathing supplies down to only the items that are used on a weekly basis.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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But the tools seem to exert a hypnotic effect, causing the constant flow of suggestions to override the writer’s own voice.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
25 June 2025
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Not perfectly, mind you, but there is something almost hypnotic about driving down dirt roads with nothing but horizon in all directions.—
Rich Tabaka,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Juicy, tender ribs are hard to beat, and cooking them low and slow is the key to achieving that irresistible fall-off-the-bone texture and deep, savory flavor.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
23 June 2025
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And then there is a style that believes reading should mimic the obstruction and slow struggle of writing.—
Benjamin Hale
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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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
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Green Bay could finish as high as sixth in the NFC if the resting Rams lose to the 49ers, potentially setting up a first-round matchup against the division-rival Lions.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2024
Adjective
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Giant tanks of lazy swimmers sit sandwiched between fields of cows and ponds of striped bass, carefully tended by three generations of the Evans family.—
Kylie Williams,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2025
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The water park has something for everyone—from high-speed slides and a wave pool to a relaxing lazy river and kid-only water slides.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Safety upgrades include a lane-centering system, a surround-view camera system, rear automatic braking, forward collision warning with automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, lane departure warning and a drowsy driver monitor.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
18 May 2025
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Studies have shown that teens who experience a lack of sleep could suffer negative consequences, including an inability to concentrate, poor grades, drowsy driving incidents, anxiety, depression, and many more.—
Sixteen Ramos,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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When McCaughan got ahead in the count 0-2, a crowd largely quieted by a lethargic Twins offense got loud enough for the pitcher to notice.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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The Nuggets, who looked so energized as a unit in Tuesday night’s Game 5 win, looked lethargic and exhausted in large stretches of Game 6.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
2 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 4 Jul. 2025.
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