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

Only then, with the captain well fed and drowsy by the crackling fire, did Madame Babushkinov casually mention that there had been news, such wonderful news, nothing short of a miracle!

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The baroness looked drowsy; she had given up taking notes, and when her pencil rolled to the floor she had not bothered to pick it up.

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Penelope closed her eyes, for she felt suddenly drowsy.

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Ridge remained in bed, drowsy and running a high fever—102 degrees, in fact.

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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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Related Words

• dazed 
• lethargic