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Synonyms

groggy

American  
[grog-ee] / ˈgrɒg i /

adjective

groggier, groggiest

  1. staggering, as from exhaustion or blows.

    a boxer groggy from his opponent's hard left jab.

  2. dazed and weakened, as from lack of sleep.

    Late nights always make me groggy the next morning.
    Synonyms:
    dopey, woozy, lethargic, sluggish

  3. Archaic. drunk; intoxicated.

groggy British  
/ ˈɡrɒɡɪ /

adjective

  1. dazed or staggering, as from exhaustion, blows, or drunkenness

  2. faint or weak

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • groggily adverb
  • grogginess noun

Etymology

Origin of groggy

First recorded in 1760–70; grog + -y 1

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.

Remember that the discomfort from flying—especially long-haul—can leave you tired and groggy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

“Some people are really tired and groggy when they go through inspection, and they don’t do a good job explaining their real situation,” he says.

From Slate • May 26, 2025

My alarm blares its generic Apple chime, and I keep hitting snooze—only to wake up groggy, drained, and unmotivated to make the most of the dwindling daylight.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2025

The only hint of the turbulence Mogwai experienced comes on the groggy, distortion-washed 18 Volcanoes, where Braithwaite quietly sings: "Hope has come another day/Hold me close in every way."

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2025

Although I was still groggy when I came out of the operating room, I had managed to squeeze Mom’s finger to tell her I was okay.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

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.