What does "sleepy" mean?

1. (tired) feeling like you want to sleep. 2. (quiet and inactive) describing a place where nothing much happens and it is very quiet. 3. (inducing sleep) something that makes you feel tired or relaxed. 4. (eye discharge) the dried substance that sometimes collects in the corners of your eyes while you sleep.

How do you use "sleepy"?

Usually used in the singular in this sense, though 'sleepies' appears in some dialects.

sleepy

adj. · n.

US //ˈsɫipi// UK //slˈiːpi// sleepy

1 tired (adj.)
A1 Beginner

feeling like you want to sleep.

experiencing a physiological desire for sleep; drowsy.

Example

The warm milk made the toddler feel very sleepy after dinner.

Example

After a long day of hiking in the mountain air, the entire group felt sleepy and retired to their tents before sunset.
- tired
- drowsy
- somnolent
2 quiet and inactive (adj.)
B1 Intermediate

describing a place where nothing much happens and it is very quiet.

characterised by a lack of activity, excitement, or bustle; often used to describe small towns.

Example

They moved from the city to a sleepy village by the sea.

Example

The once sleepy fishing port was transformed into a major tourist destination within a single decade.

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3 inducing sleep (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

something that makes you feel tired or relaxed.

having the quality of inducing drowsiness or a state of relaxation.

Example

The sleepy music helped the baby fall into a deep rest.

Example

The afternoon lecture was delivered in such a sleepy monotone that several students struggled to remain attentive.
- soothing
- calming
- stimulating
4 eye discharge (n.)
C2 Proficiency Informal Dialect Medicine

the dried substance that sometimes collects in the corners of your eyes while you sleep.

the dried mucus or rheum that accumulates in the inner corners of the eyes during sleep.

Example

He rubbed the sleepy out of his eyes as soon as he woke up.

Example

The child complained of a scratchy sensation, unaware it was merely a bit of dried sleepy caught in his eyelashes.

Usage

Usually used in the singular in this sense, though 'sleepies' appears in some dialects.
- rheum
- gound

Origin

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”).