Word
groggy
Phoneticsgrog·gy, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɡɹɑɡi/
UK/ɡɹˈɒɡi/
Definition
adj. feeling sleepy, slow, and a little unsteady, often just after you wake up or when you are ill. You use it when your head feels heavy and thinking feels hard.
adj. dazed, weak, or unsteady from lack of sleep, illness, or the effects of alcohol or drugs. Describes a temporary physical state and often follows a linking verb such as feel.
Examples
“I feel groggy after a short nap.”
“She feels groggy every morning until she drinks coffee and takes a short walk.”
“Still groggy from the overnight flight, he struggled to focus on the conference presentation and kept losing his place.”
Examples
simple
“I feel groggy after a short nap.”
contextual
“She feels groggy every morning until she drinks coffee and takes a short walk.”
complex
“Still groggy from the overnight flight, he struggled to focus on the conference presentation and kept losing his place.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “groggy” in context.
Verb
01. end up groggy
“If I take that tablet at night, I end up groggy in the morning.”
verb + particle + adj
02. feel groggy
“I often feel groggy for the first half hour after waking.”
verb + adj
03. look groggy
“You look groggy - did you sleep badly last night?”
verb + adj
04. sound groggy
“He sounded groggy when he answered the early morning call.”
verb + adj
Adjective
05. really groggy
“He felt really groggy after the long flight and time change.”
adv + adj
06. slightly groggy
“I felt slightly groggy after my short nap on the sofa.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. groggy feeling
“That groggy feeling usually disappears after a cold shower.”
adj + noun
08. groggy head
“I woke with a groggy head after taking cold medicine.”
adj + noun
09. groggy voice
“Hello, she said in a groggy voice, half asleep.”
adj + noun
10. leave you feeling groggy
“These allergy pills can leave you feeling groggy the next day.”
11. shake off that groggy feeling
“A brisk walk helped me shake off that groggy feeling.”
12. still feel a bit groggy
“I still feel a bit groggy, give me a few minutes to wake up.”
Usage
Typically used predicatively after 'feel', 'look', or 'seem'; gradable with 'very', 'a little', or 'slightly'.
Real-World Examples
“Cameras rolled as they woke up from surgery, still groggy from anesthesia, swollen and heavily bandaged.” “She says she would wake up "feeling groggy and dazed, sometimes so much so that it would feel like a hangover".” “As Reed recalled in a 1992 interview with “ 60 Minutes ,” Tann asked her to sign supposedly routine papers at a hospital while still groggy from anesthesia.” “Groggy and still on morphine from the operation, I was wheeled up to the NICU.” Etymology
From grog + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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