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sleepy Definition

sleepy (slē′pē)

adjective sleep′i·er, sleep′i·est

  1. ready or inclined to sleep; drowsy
  2. not very active; dull; quiet a sleepy little town
  3. of, causing, or showing drowsiness

sleepy Synonyms

sleepy

modif.

drowsy, tired, dozy, somnolent, slumberous, sluggish; see also tired.

sleepy applies to a person who is nearly overcome by a desire to sleep and, figuratively, suggests either the power to induce sleepiness or a quiet stillness resembling or conducive to sleep a sleepy town, song, etc.; drowsy stresses the sluggishness or lethargic heaviness accompanying sleepiness the drowsy sentry fought off sleep through the watch; somnolent is a formal equivalent of either of the preceding, though it more frequently refers to the stillness of the subject or to the subject's tendency to induce drowsiness the somnolent voice of the speaker; slumberous, also a formal or poetic equivalent, sometimes suggests latent powers in repose a slumberous city

sleepy Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • rather: Yes, a rather sleepy lizard was found to be inhabiting the loo.
  • too: D wet slightly - says ' too sleepy ' - oh dear.
  • very: Being very sleepy, they tried for some time to drop off again in spite of the cold.
  • once: In just 20 years, this once sleepy fishing village, only accessible by ferry from Lanzarote has expanded beyond compare.
  • quite: In the stable they were greeted by Dell who looked quite sleepy.
  • little: A burst of pure oxygen is very relaxing - which tends to make you a little sleepy.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • feel: Warnings Depot injections may make you feel a bit sleepy.
  • make: This medicine can sometimes make an awake patient quite sleepy.

Modifies a noun

  • backwater: However, don't be mistaken for thinking that it is a sleepy backwater - far from it.
  • hamlet: Both are tiny, sleepy hamlets with only a few tavernas situated around the quayside.
  • village: There are also many sleepy little villages off the beaten track.
  • town: Also I kinda imagine Monaco to be a fairly sleepy town where the rich just sit in their houses getting richer.
  • sickness: Our mechanic also discovered the cause of the car's sleepy sickness: it was the immobilizer system.
  • harbor: After the morning briefing sail to this sleepy fishing harbor.

Used with adjective complement

  • feel: Feeling sleepy the next day may also mean you didn't sleep soundly.
  • get: And as you look around, everyone appears to be getting sleepy.
  • become: If you feel yourself becoming sleepy while driving, why not stop in a safe place for a nap.
  • look: In the stable they were greeted by Dell who looked quite sleepy.
  • seem: A gentle purring rattles the air currents above the South Stand, but the stadium seems as sleepy as it's been for years.
  • appear: It is a bad sign if the puppy is very nervous or appears sleepy all the time.
sleepy Quotes

Hey! MrTambourine Man, playa song for me. I'm not sleepyand there is no place I'm going to.

—Dylan, Bob pseudonym of  Robert Allen Zimmerman