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.

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Etymology

Origin of sleep-deprived

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

New research looks at what happens inside our brain when we are sleep deprived.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

The sailors had just endured a rough winter crossing and were almost as sleep deprived as the officers, many of whom had barely taken a break since the night of the bombing.

From Slate • Jul. 22, 2025

Researchers found that when mice were sleep deprived, they were more likely to experience migraine-like pain, but migraine-like pain did not disrupt normal sleep.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2024

Americans are chronically sleep deprived: one-third of adults in the United States say they get less than 7 hours a night.

From New York Times • Feb. 19, 2024

She felt on edge, sleep deprived, and overcaffeinated.

From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway