ˈslēpe, -pi adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English slepy, from slep sleep + -y
1.
a.
(1) : having an inclination to sleep : ready to fall asleep : drowsy
is sleepy and wants to go to bed
(2) : inclined to sleep more than is usual for most people
a sleepy boy who is always late to school
b. : of, relating to, or characteristic of sleep
has a sleepy look on his face — Morris Fishbein
2. : marked by a state resembling sleep: as
a. : lacking alertness : sluggish , lethargic
amateurs with a sleepy sense of what is really at stake in the critic's business — R.E.Garis
b. : having little activity : quietly slow-moving
this sleepy little city lost among the gentle hills — Arnaldo Cortesi
sleepy rivers lined with sycamores — American Guide Series: Ind.
c. : having a dull glow rather than a sparkle
even the best zircon is a bit sleepy — F.B.Wade
3. : tending to induce sleep : soporific
will give you sleepy drinks — Shakespeare
the yellowhammer trills his sleepy song in the noonday heat — L.P.Smith
4. : beginning to rot
expect her to drop every minute like an overripe sleepy pear — Frederick Marryat