sleepy

[slee-pee]

adjective

sleepier, sleepiest 

1. ready or inclined to sleep; drowsy.

   Synonyms: slumberous, somnolent, tired

2. of or showing drowsiness.

3. languid; languorous.

   a sleepy gesture.

4. lethargic; sluggish.

   a sleepy brook.

5. quiet.

   a sleepy village.

6. inducing sleep; soporific.

   sleepy warmth.

sleepy

/ ˈsliːpɪ /

adjective

1. inclined to or needing sleep; drowsy

2. characterized by or exhibiting drowsiness, sluggishness, etc

3. conducive to sleep; soporific

4. without activity or bustle

   a sleepy town

Other Word Forms

• sleepily adverb
• sleepiness noun
• unsleepy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sleepy¹

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; sleep, -y ¹

Example Sentences

It was hardly surprising: the village was small and sleepy at the best of times, and for anyone still under retirement age, looking for work meant moving elsewhere.

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Police are now trying to connect her life in sleepy Lake Elsinore to her death in one of Los Angeles’ celebrity-studded neighborhoods.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

They mean, “I put on episodes I’ve seen before and it’s comforting in a profoundly, sleepy way.”

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The latest hipster destination is Canggu, a once sleepy fishing village that has become a magnet for surfers from around the world.

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“The Night of the Iguana” takes place in a sleepy, seaside Mexican village in 1940, just as Hitler’s Germany was advancing on Europe and Japan was plotting similar jingoistic pursuits on its own front.

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Related Words

• drowsy 
• lethargic 
• listless 
• quiet 
• sluggish