Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for sleepy. Search instead for unsleepy.
Synonyms

sleepy

American  
[slee-pee] / ˈsli pi /

adjective

sleepier, sleepiest

  1. ready or inclined to sleep; drowsy.

    Synonyms:
    slumberous, somnolent, tired

  2. of or showing drowsiness.

  3. languid; languorous.

    a sleepy gesture.

  4. lethargic; sluggish.

    a sleepy brook.

  5. quiet.

    a sleepy village.

  6. inducing sleep; soporific.

    sleepy warmth.
sleepy British  
/ ˈsliːpɪ /

adjective

  1. inclined to or needing sleep; drowsy

  2. characterized by or exhibiting drowsiness, sluggishness, etc

  3. conducive to sleep; soporific

  4. without activity or bustle

    a sleepy town
"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

  • sleepily adverb
  • sleepiness noun
  • unsleepy adjective

Etymology

Origin of sleepy

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; sleep, -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.

Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s Homeland Security confirmation process was setting up to be a sleepy affair.

From Slate • Mar. 21, 2026

But some who have spent time with him in recent months have also found him adrift and isolated, with Meghan chasing new pursuits as he passes the time in his sleepy new hometown.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Then, last Tuesday, Jackie started pancaking — lying flat in the nest bowl — for long stretches and her eyes looked sleepy.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

The sleepy seaside town of North Berwick is an unlikely setting for an underground campaign of resistance.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

The girl squints, her sleepy eyes going back and forth between me and Bertha.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

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.