sleepy

sleepy — adjective

1. needing rest so that your eyes feel heavy and you find it hard to stay awake

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

needing rest so that your eyes feel heavy and you find it hard to stay awake

Example

After the long flight, Benjamin felt too sleepy to even change out of his clothes.

feel + too + adjective + to-infinitive

The warm room and soft music made Hui feel sleepy.

make + object + feel + adjective

Common collocations
  • feel sleepy
  • get sleepy
  • look sleepy
  • make someone sleepy
  • sleepy eyes
  • sleepy yawn
Synonyms
  • drowsy

    suggests a state between awake and asleep, often caused by warmth or medicine

  • tired

    broader — covers physical or mental exhaustion from any activity, not specifically the need to sleep

  • weary

    implies long-lasting fatigue, often from ongoing effort or worry

  • dozy

    informal British English, describes being lightly sleepy in a relaxing setting

Antonyms
  • awake

    not asleep or feeling the need to sleep

  • alert

    fully awake and able to think clearly

Grammar Patterns

feel + sleepy

get + sleepy

look + sleepy

be + sleepy

Common Mistakes

I am sleep.
I am sleepy.
Sleepy is an adjective meaning needing rest; sleep is a noun or a verb.

2. not busy or lively, with a slow and peaceful atmosphere — used about a town, vil

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

not busy or lively, with a slow and peaceful atmosphere — used about a town, village, or similar place

Example

Tariq grew up in a sleepy fishing village on the coast of Portugal.

sleepy + noun describing a place

The sleepy little town had only one main street and a small market.

sleepy little + noun — common modifier pattern

Common collocations
  • sleepy town
  • sleepy village
  • sleepy little
  • sleepy fishing village
  • sleepy neighbourhood
  • sleepy countryside
Synonyms
  • quiet

    general term for not busy or loud; less vivid than sleepy

  • tranquil

    suggests a deeper sense of calm and peacefulness

  • peaceful

    emphasises the absence of disturbance or stress

  • slow-moving

    describes a place where not much happens; more neutral in tone

Antonyms
  • lively

    full of activity, energy, and people

  • bustling

    very busy and crowded with activity

  • vibrant

    full of energy and excitement

Grammar Patterns

sleepy + noun (town / village / street / neighbourhood)

Usage Note

Almost always used directly before a noun such as town, village, street, or neighbourhood. Unlike sense 1 ('tired and wanting sleep'), this sense cannot describe a person's physical state.

Common Mistakes

The town is sleepy today.' (when only temporarily quiet)
It is a sleepy little fishing town.
This sense describes a general character of the place, not a temporary condition.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Sleepy, drowsy, tired, weary, and dozy all describe a lack of energy or alertness, but they differ in cause and intensity. Sleepy specifically refers to the need for sleep — your eyes feel heavy and you may yawn. Drowsy suggests a state between awake and asleep, often caused by medication, warmth, or illness. Tired is broader, covering physical or mental exhaustion from any activity. Weary implies long-lasting fatigue from ongoing effort or worry. Dozy is informal British English for lightly sleepy, especially in a warm relaxing setting. For example: 'Elena felt sleepy after the big lunch.' 'The patient was drowsy from the painkillers.' 'The hikers were tired after climbing the mountain.' 'Rohan grew weary of the daily arguments.' 'The cat looked dozy by the fireplace.'

drowsytired ↗weary ↗dozy

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • feel sleepy
  • get sleepy
  • look sleepy
  • sleepy little

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from Old English slǣpig (sleep + the suffix -y meaning 'full of'), related to slǣpan meaning 'to sleep'. The original sense 'full of sleep' dates back to medieval times. The meaning 'quiet with little activity' for describing places developed later, around the 1800s. Related words in German (schläfrig) and Dutch (slaperig) share the same root.