sleepy

adjective

ˈslē-pē How to pronounce sleepy (audio)
sleepier; sleepiest
Synonyms of sleepynext
1
a
: ready to fall asleep
b
: of, relating to, or characteristic of sleep
2
: sluggish as if from sleep : lethargic
also : having little activity
a sleepy coastal village
3
: sleep-inducing
sleepily
ˈslē-pə-lē How to pronounce sleepy (audio)
adverb
sleepiness
ˈslē-pē-nəs How to pronounce sleepy (audio)
noun

Synonyms of sleepy

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Examples of sleepy in a Sentence

She felt sleepy and went to bed. the sleepy children were carried up to bed
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, angry residents continue to flood once-sleepy municipal board meetings, pressuring officials to reject data center proposals. — Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 What was once a boring, sleepy issue where the PUC made decisions more or less in a vacuum is no longer the case. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026 On what had been something of a sleepy early Saturday afternoon for the Washington Capitals, Ryan Leonard suddenly produced a scintillating effort that ignited the home team. — Des Bieler, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2026 First out of Cannes, where Bola Negra livened up a sleepy year on the Croisette before being snapped up by Netflix. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sleepy

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleepy was in the 13th century

Rhymes for sleepy

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Browse Nearby Words

sleep with
sleepy
sleepy catchfly
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Cite this Entry

“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleepy. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sleepy

adjective
ˈslē-pē How to pronounce sleepy (audio)
sleepier; sleepiest
1
: ready to fall asleep
2
: quietly inactive
a sleepy village
sleepily
-pə-lē How to pronounce sleepy (audio)
adverb
sleepiness
-pē-nəs How to pronounce sleepy (audio)
noun

Medical Definition

sleepy

adjective
ˈslē-pē How to pronounce sleepy (audio)
sleepier; sleepiest
: ready to fall asleep
sleepiness
-pē-nəs How to pronounce sleepy (audio)
noun
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