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
While Monday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live aired after the game, it was recorded beforehand, and in his monologue, Kimmel didn't predict the winner, rather that there likely would be a sleepy Donald there.
—
Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
Tucked into a hillside in the sleepy Francophone village of Matran, a former seminary now serves as La Maison de Formation et d’Intégration, a transitional center for people under legal protection.
—Jessi Jezewska Stevens, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
The upcoming Great Nicobar Project is set to transform this sleepy island into a bustling township over the next three decades.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 7 June 2026
Alexandre Tabaste/Cheval Blanc Paris Alexandre Tabaste Alexandre Tabaste Skip the sleepy districts that house so many of Paris’s plush hotels, and book a private perch with a bird’s eye view of the river and La Samaritaine as your fashion-forward neighbor.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
Tucked into a hillside in the sleepy Francophone village of Matran, a former seminary now serves as La Maison de Formation et d’Intégration, a transitional center for people under legal protection.
—Jessi Jezewska Stevens, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
The upcoming Great Nicobar Project is set to transform this sleepy island into a bustling township over the next three decades.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 7 June 2026
Alexandre Tabaste/Cheval Blanc Paris Alexandre Tabaste Alexandre Tabaste Skip the sleepy districts that house so many of Paris’s plush hotels, and book a private perch with a bird’s eye view of the river and La Samaritaine as your fashion-forward neighbor.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepy
Adjective
-
An autopsy showed that the infant died from asphyxiation secondary to a co-sleeping/overlay event with an unsafe sleeping environment.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Curacao home kit is quite dull and is a slightly weird colour, but this is almost perfect.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Unfortunately, hyaluronic acid decreases with age, which can contribute to a loss of plumpness, fine lines, and an overall duller complexion.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The hypnotic motifs and stylized figures in these collections lit a fuse for Nilsson and her peers, seeding a fascination with non-Western art that has continued throughout her career.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
The haunting and hypnotic story follows stepbrothers Niall (Mitchell Robertson as a teen, Jamie Bell as an adult) and Ruben (Stuart Campell as a teen, Gadd as an adult) over 30 years, as their uneasy yet unshakeable bond becomes an increasingly toxic relationship.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Dems slow to embrace data center resistance McMillan Cottom suggested that no public officials on the right or the left have perfected their messaging to align with anti-data center sentiments.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
-
Eating a donut earlier in the day is easier on your body than eating it at night when insulin sensitivity and metabolism slow.—
Brandi Jones,
Verywell Health,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
That’s because when the body experiences physical stress, including losing weight quickly, more hairs can shift into a resting phase and fall out a few months later — typically two to three months after the event, Rossi explains.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
17 Feb. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
The lazy writing doesn’t end there.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
-
Rise up in the biggest moments, not on a lazy Tuesday night in Columbus.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Allergy drugs can ease those symptoms and make people drowsy, potentially offering relief from insomnia.—
Kara Smythe,
EverydayHealth.com,
15 May 2026
-
Fleets that deployed the company's AI dash cams, which detect drowsy or distracted driving, saw a 73% reduction in accidents after 30 months, according to company data from more than 2,600 customers.—
TIME Contributors,
Time,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The freedom to move around the object, to mentally embroider a narrative on bits of motionless metal or stone—that’s what makes the form interesting.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
Seated on a stool for the duration, Grande held the audience in her proverbial grip for several motionless minutes.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleepy. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
