sleepy
Americanadjective
-
ready or inclined to sleep; drowsy.
- Synonyms:
- slumberous, somnolent, tired
-
of or showing drowsiness.
-
languid; languorous.
a sleepy gesture.
-
lethargic; sluggish.
a sleepy brook.
-
quiet.
a sleepy village.
-
inducing sleep; soporific.
sleepy warmth.
adjective
-
inclined to or needing sleep; drowsy
-
characterized by or exhibiting drowsiness, sluggishness, etc
-
conducive to sleep; soporific
-
without activity or bustle
a sleepy town
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sleepy
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at sleep, -y 1
Explanation
When you're sleepy, you're tired or drowsy. Snow White's dwarf who is always yawning? That's Sleepy! Sleepy people need to sleep. Sleepy things (like a sleepy yawn or a sleepy face) can be evidence of how exhausted someone is. If a place is described as sleepy, it means "unexciting" or "without activity," so you could call the little village where your grandparents live a sleepy town. You can also call your tired friend a "sleepy head," a term that's been around since the 1500s.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Post likened him to Ichabod Crane, the fictional schoolmaster in the Washington Irving short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025
He was an uncredited writer on "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" and Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow".
From Barron's • Nov. 29, 2025
As the town featured in Washington Irving’s famous novel “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” we think it’s safe to say that Sleepy Hollow takes fall very seriously.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 2025
Pharma Foods International and Functional Chocolate Co., which makes Sleepy Chocolate, did not respond to requests to discuss PharmaGABA’s safety.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2024
Eddie said, “Go ’head on, Sleepy LaBone, I’ll be back.”
From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
