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sleep-deprived

American  
[sleep-di-prahyvd] / ˈslip dɪˌpraɪvd /

adjective

  1. affected by fatigue, weakness, impaired judgment, loss of mental alertness, etc., due to lack of sleep.

    I wasn’t going to wait in line overnight and then be in a store with 700 other sleep-deprived shoppers, any of whom could mentally snap and strangle me at any moment.

    If you know you’re going to have a sleep-deprived EEG, plan to have someone drive you to and from the test.


Etymology

Origin of sleep-deprived

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

See Examples For:

DUP MP Jim Shannon highlighted this lack of oversight a sector that predominantly caters for "sleep-deprived and vulnerable parents".

From BBC Jun. 8, 2026

Probably because I’m sleep-deprived, I’m getting another matcha and a hot water with lemon.

From Los Angeles Times May 22, 2026

Attention lapses when we’re sleep-deprived result from our brain’s efforts to clean itself up, a process that usually happens during sleep, recent research found.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 13, 2026

New research shows what happens in the sleep-deprived brain.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 13, 2026

Venkat furrowed his brow, taking in far more information than his sleep-deprived mind wanted to accept.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

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