sleepy en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈsliːpi/
- (US) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *slēpaz Proto-West Germanic *slāp Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Proto-West Germanic *slāpag Old English *slǣpiġ Middle English slepy English sleepy From Middle English slepy, from Old English *slǣpiġ (attested in unslǣpiġ (“sleepless”)), from Proto-West Germanic *slāpag (“sleepy”), equivalent to sleep + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian släipich (“sleepy”), West Frisian sliepich (“sleepy”), dialectal Dutch slapig, slepig (“sleepy”), German Low German slapig, släpig, slöpig (“sleepy”), archaic German schlafig (“sleepy”).
Meanings
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Tired; feeling the need for sleep.
She wak'd her sleepy crew.
1700, [John] Dryden, “Cymon and Iphigenia, from Boccace”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
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Suggesting tiredness.
At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth, stepped back from the tree and listened. There were no sounds of any movement upstairs: no shouts, no sleepy grumbles, only a gentle tinkle from the decorations as the tree had recovered from the collision.
1994, Stephen Fry, chapter 2, in The Hippopotamus:
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Tending to induce sleep.
a sleepy drink or potion
[T]he yong L. Roger Mortimer, […] hauing corrupted his Keepers, or (as ſome others vvrite) hauing potioned them vvith a ſleepy drinke, eſcaped out of the Tovver of London, getting ouer clearely vvithout any empeachment into France.
1611, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Edward the Second, […]”, in The History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], London: […] William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, […], →OCLC, book IX ([Englands Monarchs] […]), paragraph 49, page 561, column 1:
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(figuratively) Dull; lazy.
'Tis not sleepy business; But must be looked to speedily and strongly.
1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:
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(figuratively) Quiet; without bustle or activity.
The meeting has put Pakistan at the center of the biggest story in the world, spotlighting its normally sleepy capital that has been preparing for days for high-profile delegations to arrive.
2026 April 12, Betsy Joles, “No Deal: U.S.-Iran peace talks in Islamabad fall through”, in National Public Radio, Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio, archived from the original on 14 Apr 2026:Despite Horwich's international fame as a centre of railway engineering, Horwich station itself was usually quite a sleepy place.
2023 March 8, Paul Salveson, “Fond farewells to two final trains...”, in Rail, number 978, page 54:a sleepy English village
Usually sleepy border crossings into Kazakhstan and Mongolia have also been overwhelmed by the sudden influx of Russians looking for a way out.
2022 September 23, Pjotr Sauer, Dan Sabbagh, “Border queues build as people flee Russia to escape Putin's call-up”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 11 Mar 2023:Experts believe a pandemic welfare programme for poorer Brazilians has encouraged robbers to plan bold raids in sleepy regional cities where bank branches are storing more cash.
2021 August 30, “Armed robbers take hostages in deadly bank raids in Brazil city”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 03 Nov 2021:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sleepier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| sleepiest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| sleeby | alternative | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
sleepy catchfly · sleepy head · eepy · sleepyhead · sleepy goby · sleepy dust · sleepy sand · sleepy-byes · sleepy cod · sleepy underwing · Sleepy Hollow · Sleepy Joe · sleepy-dust · sleepiness · sleepily · sleepy distemper · sleepy sickness · nonsleepy · unsleepy · eep · sleepy-bye · sleepy crab · sleepytime · sleepy lizard
Hyponyms
yawning · sleepful · hypersomnolent · narcotised · poppied · nappish · narcotized
Relateds
Synonyms
done · enervated · dozy · hypnotic · buggered · forlagen · sluggish · worn out · somniculous · shagged out · drowsy · soporous · languid · pooped · dead tired · whipped · out of steam · played out · nadgered · soporific · weary · cream crackered · tired · eyelids at half-mast · tuckered out · run-down · heavy · fried · snoozy · dopey · sleepish · slumberful · dog-weary · oscitant · tranquilizing · banjaxed · somnific · jaded · knacked · forworn · dog-tired · heavyeyed · tired · soporific · dragging one's tail · whacked · spent · tuckered · done in · fagged out · weariful · jiggered · shagged · worn · dormitive · nodding off · forfairn · sleepy · fucked · drained · somniferous · vapid · exhausted · somnolescent · pooped out · stuffed · somnolent · washed out · stupefactive · gassed · adrowse · zonked · knackered · wappened · tired out · fatigued · tired · bone-tired · bushed · out of gas · hypnic · pumped · wrecked · hypnotic · slumbery · bedroomy · slombry · sleepbound · bleary · slumberous · soporiferous · done up · somnolent · slumberous · bleary-eyed · shot · beat · sleepy · Kerry Packered · bleareyed · busted · jaded · shattered · stupefacient · slumbersome · weary
Translations (153)
uk сонли́вий (feeling the need for sleep) · sv trött (feeling the need for sleep) · uk оспа́лий (feeling the need for sleep) · arz نعسان (feeling the need for sleep) · lut ʔəxʷʔitutəb (feeling the need for sleep) · no trøtt (feeling the need for sleep) · gl durmiñento (feeling the need for sleep) · es dormijoso (desus.) (feeling the need for sleep) · bo གཉིད་བྲོ (feeling the need for sleep) · sh pȍspān (feeling the need for sleep) · la somniculōsus (feeling the need for sleep) · th ง่วง (feeling the need for sleep) · sh по̏спа̄н (feeling the need for sleep) · yue 眼瞓 /眼𰥛 (feeling the need for sleep) · hy քնկոտ (feeling the need for sleep) · fr somnolent (feeling the need for sleep) · pt com sono (feeling the need for sleep) · bg заспа́л (quiet; without bustle or activity) · ota طالغین (feeling the need for sleep) · nn søvnug (feeling the need for sleep) · be санлі́вы (feeling the need for sleep) · sh са̀њив (feeling the need for sleep) · is þreyttur (feeling the need for sleep) · ckb خەو ھاتن (feeling the need for sleep) · ru со́нный (feeling the need for sleep) · ota مخمور (feeling the need for sleep) · nb trett (feeling the need for sleep) · ru сонли́вый (feeling the need for sleep) · alt уйкулу (feeling the need for sleep) · atv уйгулыг (feeling the need for sleep) · id mengantuk (feeling the need for sleep) · be пазаспа́ны (feeling the need for sleep) · gun opeýi (feeling the need for sleep) · za suiz (feeling the need for sleep) · bg съ́нен (suggesting tiredness) · cmn 瞌睡 (feeling the need for sleep) · uk за́спаний (feeling the need for sleep) · cjs уйғулығ (feeling the need for sleep) · mi turamoe (feeling the need for sleep) · ro somnoros (feeling the need for sleep) · sk ospalý (feeling the need for sleep) · sv sömnig (feeling the need for sleep) · bcl pirot (feeling the need for sleep) · az yuxulu (feeling the need for sleep) · mi hāmoemoe (feeling the need for sleep) · da træt (feeling the need for sleep) · gd suaineach (feeling the need for sleep) · de schläfrig (feeling the need for sleep) · pt sonolento (feeling the need for sleep) · no søvnig (feeling the need for sleep) · mn нойрмог (feeling the need for sleep) · cmn 昏昏欲睡 (feeling the need for sleep) · ja 眠い (feeling the need for sleep) · fr endormi (suggesting tiredness) · vec sonoleso (feeling the need for sleep) · da søvnig (feeling the need for sleep) · ar نَعْسَان (feeling the need for sleep) · ky уйкучул (feeling the need for sleep) · acw نعسان (feeling the need for sleep) · mi ohere (feeling the need for sleep) · sv pömsig (feeling the need for sleep) · fr ensuqué (feeling the need for sleep) · gl durmiñento (quiet; without bustle or activity) · oc somnolent (feeling the need for sleep) · uk мля́вий (feeling the need for sleep) · izh uniin (feeling the need for sleep) · cy cysglyd (feeling the need for sleep) · es adormecido (feeling the need for sleep) · ja 眠たい (feeling the need for sleep) · sq përgjumur (feeling the need for sleep) · cs ospalý (feeling the need for sleep) · be драмлі́вы (feeling the need for sleep) · id ngantuk (feeling the need for sleep) · sh дрѐмљив (feeling the need for sleep) · kk ұйқылы (feeling the need for sleep) · ar نَاعِس (feeling the need for sleep) · sh drèmljiv (feeling the need for sleep) · cmn 睏 /困 (feeling the need for sleep) · ga suanmhar (feeling the need for sleep) · ga néalmhar (feeling the need for sleep) · fi uninen (feeling the need for sleep) · ca somnolent (feeling the need for sleep) · izh uniin (suggesting tiredness) · es somnoliento (feeling the need for sleep) · he מְנֻמְנָם (feeling the need for sleep) · ga codlatach (feeling the need for sleep) · rup somnos (feeling the need for sleep) · th เหนื่อย (feeling the need for sleep) · es cansado (feeling the need for sleep) · ko 졸리다 (feeling the need for sleep) · pdt schleeprich (feeling the need for sleep) · it assonnato (feeling the need for sleep) · sh sànjiv (feeling the need for sleep) · fi unelias (quiet; without bustle or activity) · fi uninen (suggesting tiredness) · bg съ́нен (feeling the need for sleep) · ro somnolent (feeling the need for sleep) · no døsig (feeling the need for sleep) · de verschlafen (quiet; without bustle or activity) · la sopōrus (feeling the need for sleep) · nan-tws 目澀 /目涩 (feeling the need for sleep) · mk сонлив (feeling the need for sleep) · yi שלעפֿעריק (feeling the need for sleep) · es soñoliento (feeling the need for sleep) · ms mengantuk (feeling the need for sleep) · et unine (feeling the need for sleep) · ru дремли́вый (feeling the need for sleep) · el νυσταγμένος (feeling the need for sleep) · nl slaperig (feeling the need for sleep) · ru за́спанный (feeling the need for sleep) · eo dormema (feeling the need for sleep) · fi unelias (feeling the need for sleep) · fi väsynyt (suggesting tiredness) · ky уйкулуу (feeling the need for sleep) · grc νυσταλέος (feeling the need for sleep) · hi निद्रालु (feeling the need for sleep) · sc sonnidu (feeling the need for sleep) · bcl tungka (feeling the need for sleep) · tl inaantok (feeling the need for sleep) · hu álmos (feeling the need for sleep) · fi hiljainen (quiet; without bustle or activity) · is syfjaður (feeling the need for sleep) · el νυσταλέος (feeling the need for sleep) · la somnolentus (feeling the need for sleep) · mr झोपाळू (feeling the need for sleep) · nv bił nízin (feeling the need for sleep) · he מנומנם (feeling the need for sleep) · es tener sueño (feeling the need for sleep) · fa خواب آلود (feeling the need for sleep) · uk со́нний (feeling the need for sleep) · ta மந்தமான (feeling the need for sleep) · km ងងុយដេក (feeling the need for sleep) · lv miegains (feeling the need for sleep) · pl senny (feeling the need for sleep) · lt mieguistas (feeling the need for sleep) · kk ұйқышыл (feeling the need for sleep) · ga meirbh (quiet; without bustle or activity) · it sonnolento (feeling the need for sleep) · fr ensommeillé (feeling the need for sleep) · mk поспан (feeling the need for sleep) · hi उनींदा (feeling the need for sleep) · pl śpiący (feeling the need for sleep) · bg сънли́в (feeling the need for sleep) · be заспа́ны (feeling the need for sleep) · mi hinamoe (feeling the need for sleep) · sl zaspan (feeling the need for sleep) · cmn 睏倦 /困倦 (feeling the need for sleep) · nb søvnig (feeling the need for sleep) · enm slepy (feeling the need for sleep) · be со́нны (feeling the need for sleep) · grc ὑπνωτικός (feeling the need for sleep) · nan-hbl 愛睏 /爱困 (feeling the need for sleep) · tg хоболуд (feeling the need for sleep)