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
Trinidad, tucked in northern Humboldt, is a sleepy coastal village with panoramic ocean views and a pace that feels almost timeless.
—
Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Valerian root, a common ingredient in nighttime sleepy teas, can also cause drowsiness.
—Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 5 Jan. 2026
But as more people hear about a data center coming to their community, once-sleepy municipal board meetings in farming towns and growing suburbs now feature crowded rooms of angry residents pressuring local officials to reject the requests.
—Marc Levy, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
The New Year’s Eve box office tends to be sleepy, as many consumers prefer to eat, drink and be merry.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Valerian root, a common ingredient in nighttime sleepy teas, can also cause drowsiness.
—Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 5 Jan. 2026
But as more people hear about a data center coming to their community, once-sleepy municipal board meetings in farming towns and growing suburbs now feature crowded rooms of angry residents pressuring local officials to reject the requests.
—Marc Levy, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
The New Year’s Eve box office tends to be sleepy, as many consumers prefer to eat, drink and be merry.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepy
Adjective
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Contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert finds Brooklinen’s prints a good midway point between something too chintzy or something too dull, and thinks highly of the material as well.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
8 Jan. 2026
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The fiber’s irregular length distribution—with 50 percent at 28 millimeters and 50 percent in the 10 to 20 millimeter range—delivers a textured, semi-dull and opaque aesthetic that achieves a genuine, vintage washdown performance.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Nazism’s total domination politically and socially found an aesthetic counterpart in the visual reduction of bodies to things, ecstatically subdued before the hypnotic power of a leader, force, or sublime beauty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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Plus, Palmer and Goode's oh-so-palpable chemistry conjures up a hypnotic charm that even Harkness couldn't resist.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Traditional humanoid robots depend heavily on data collected by human operators, which is slow and expensive.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Her days were slow and intentional.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 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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White cast-iron chairs are perfectly positioned on a terrace to catch Stromboli’s volcanic smoke-show, and occasional fiery belch, in the distance over a lazy cocktail.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
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Suzy Welch, a best-selling author and professor of management practice at New York University, hit back against those who brand the young generation lazy by reminiscing on her career journey.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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The senior from Cibolo fell face-first to the ground and remained motionless as trainers made their way to the field.—
American-Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Jan. 2026
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Ahead of Waymo’s 2026 self-driving ride-hailing fleet rollout in Nashville, a recent mass power outage in San Francisco left many of its vehicles motionless.—
Stuart Dyos,
Nashville Tennessean,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Philadelphia was again doomed by a lethargic offensive effort that cost it a shot at a repeat championship.—
Dan Gelston,
Denver Post,
11 Jan. 2026
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More energy and enthusiasm There were too many times in the first few months of the season when this team looked lethargic.—
Jonas Siegel,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleepy. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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