sleepy

adjective

ˈslē-pē

sleepier; sleepiest

Synonyms of sleepy

: ready to fall asleep

: of, relating to, or characteristic of sleep

: sluggish as if from sleep : lethargic

also : having little activity

a sleepy coastal village

: sleep-inducing

sleepily

ˈslē-pə-lē

adverb

sleepiness

ˈslē-pē-nəs

noun

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.

Koya is the sleepy koala with baby blue fur and a violet nose. — Rin Velasco, The Providence Journal, 10 July 2026 Memory has long occupied a sleepy corner of the semiconductor market. — Kif Leswing,katie Tarasov, CNBC, 9 July 2026 On that note, with your celestial ruler, Venus, taking a dip in your sleepy 12th house of resting, retreating and surrendering to the ebb and flow of your spirit, you’re encouraged to slow down. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026 His long white oval scleras and perfect-circle black pupils, sometimes open and sometimes closed, are always inexplicably expressive—managing to seem happy, sad, scared, sleepy, shifty, angry, eager, alarmed, mischievous, or murderous. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 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

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sleepy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleepy. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sleepy

adjective

ˈslē-pē

sleepier; sleepiest

: ready to fall asleep

: quietly inactive

a sleepy village

sleepily

-pə-lē

adverb

sleepiness

-pē-nəs

noun

Medical Definition

sleepy

adjective

ˈslē-pē

sleepier; sleepiest

: ready to fall asleep

sleepiness

-pē-nəs

noun

sleepy

adjective

Synonyms of sleepy

Examples of sleepy in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

8 Obscure Words for Sleepy Times

7 Words to Beat the Summer Heat

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on sleepy

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fulcrum

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes

sleepy

adjective

Synonyms of sleepy

Examples of sleepy in a Sentence

Word History

Rhymes for sleepy

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to sleepy

8 Obscure Words for Sleepy Times

7 Words to Beat the Summer Heat

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on sleepy

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fulcrum

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes