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
When Tommy leaves to bring his sleepy son home, Maria revisits her and Joel’s conversation about refugees.
—
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 18 May 2025
Photos of my kid's birthday parties are no longer me with bleary, sleepy drinking eyes.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
Three Days in Clamecy Indeed, this sleepy little town was so unprepared for its trickle of summer visitors that there hadn’t been a single rental car available during our visit.
—Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2025
For a week, teams from a dozen countries descended on Tzaneen, the sleepy farming town near Polokwane where Ms. Ntsanwisi grew up.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 18 May 2025
Photos of my kid's birthday parties are no longer me with bleary, sleepy drinking eyes.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
Three Days in Clamecy Indeed, this sleepy little town was so unprepared for its trickle of summer visitors that there hadn’t been a single rental car available during our visit.
—Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2025
For a week, teams from a dozen countries descended on Tzaneen, the sleepy farming town near Polokwane where Ms. Ntsanwisi grew up.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleepy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepy
Adjective
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The bittersweet result didn’t dull a remarkable career and legacy for Kelly.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
31 May 2025
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But the drama can be very stolid, borderline dull at times.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, every spring in Baja, Mexico, mobula rays gather by the thousands, swirling in a hypnotic vortex.—
Rona Berg,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Along with guitarist Mike Campbell and Petty himself, Tench was with the Heartbreakers from their formation in 1976 all the way to their final show in 2017, toggling between the piano and Hammond organ as Petty’s kick-ass spellcaster who flew through songs like a hypnotic spiral.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Still, even if the growth is slower than in some North American leagues, European teams continue to appreciate.—
Justin Teitelbaum,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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My spring crops were slow to develop this year, stifled by sporadic frosts and bouts of dry weather.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 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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Summer in New Jersey means long, lazy days at its famous beaches.—
Rachel Chang,
AFAR Media,
2 June 2025
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Dresses should feel effortless but not lazy, and easy to wear all day.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 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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The toddler appears to be lethargic while in hospital.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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After Game 1’s lethargic start by Florida, the Panthers opened perfectly Wednesday: With jets in the skates, with a vintage-good Bobrovsky at the net, with a continued big penalty-kill, and with a 1-0 lead mid-period on Barkov’s wrist shot on a power play.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
8 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 11 Jun. 2025.
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