drowsy

[drou-zee]

adjective

drowsier, drowsiest 

1. half-asleep; sleepy.

   Synonyms: dozy, somnolent

2. marked by or resulting from sleepiness.

3. dull; sluggish.

   Synonyms: listless, lethargic

4. inducing lethargy or sleepiness.

   drowsy spring weather.

drowsy

/ ˈdraʊzɪ /

adjective

1. heavy with sleepiness; sleepy

2. inducing sleep; soporific

3. sluggish or lethargic; dull

Other Word Forms

• drowsily adverb
• drowsiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of drowsy¹

First recorded in 1520–30; drowse + -y ¹

Example Sentences

She values the importance of kindergarten learning, she said, but even without a fever, if her child is drowsy or coughing, he “won’t be paying attention anyway.”

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"My baby became excessively drowsy, fed poorly and subsequently developed complications."

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But officers who were dealing with him noticed that he appeared drowsy and sometimes looked at them with a glazed expression.

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Others say they are given an injection that causes a drowsy, hallucinatory state in which they believe they’re giving birth.

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What initially seems like seduction begins to feel like sedation, and the movie nearly loses itself in its drowsy rhythm.

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Related Words

• dazed 
• lethargic