sleepy
gb/slˈipi/ us/slˈipi/
A1
English
~ 6300
álmos, csendes, lagymatag, lanyha, vontatott
A1
1
álmos
A1
Usage pattern:
[someone] feels/is [sleepy]
I always feel sleepy after a big lunch.
Egy kiadós ebéd után mindig álmos vagyok.
The movie was good, but I was too sleepy to watch the end.
A film jó volt, de túl álmos voltam ahhoz, hogy végignézzem.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and reached for her coffee.
Driving while you are sleepy can be very dangerous.
The baby gets sleepy around seven o'clock every night.
Learner examples
I am sleepy and want to go to bed.
Álmos vagyok, és le akarok feküdni.
He feels sleepy in class after lunch.
Ebéd után álmosnak érzi magát az órán.
My eyes are sleepy because I did not sleep well.
This warm room makes me sleepy.
She is still sleepy in the morning.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "sleepy" with "asleep". Use "sleepy" to describe wanting to sleep ("I am sleepy"), and "asleep" to describe actually sleeping ("He is asleep"). Saying *"I am very asleep"* is incorrect; say "I am very sleepy" or "I am fast asleep".
Meaning
feeling like you need sleep
Collocations
feel sleepy
|get sleepy
|look sleepy
|still sleepy
|a bit sleepy
|sleepy eyes
Synonyms
drowsy (More formal than "sleepy" and often used in medical or written contexts.)
|
tired (Broader; can mean lacking energy for any reason, not only wanting to sleep.)
Antonyms
alert (Emphasizes being fully awake and able to react quickly.)
|
wide awake (Informal phrase meaning completely awake, the opposite state of sleepy.)
Themes
daily life
|health
|emotions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Feeling that you want to sleep because you are tired.
Feeling drowsy and wanting to sleep.
B1
2
Usage pattern:
[a place] is [sleepy]
They moved from the city to a sleepy village by the sea.
A városból egy álmos kis tengerparti faluba költöztek.
The hotel is in a sleepy little town that closes down after dark.
A szálloda egy álmos kisvárosban van, ahol sötétedés után minden bezár.
On Sunday afternoons, the normally busy market square becomes quite sleepy.
It was a sleepy street with only a few cars passing by each hour.
Tourists love the island's sleepy atmosphere and slow pace of life.
Learner examples
We walked through a sleepy town near the lake.
Végigsétáltunk egy álmos kisvároson a tó közelében.
This is a sleepy street with very few cars.
Ez egy csendes utca, nagyon kevés autó jár erre.
At night, the village is quiet and sleepy.
He grew up in a small, sleepy village.
The beach was sleepy and almost empty.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "sleepy" can only describe a person. It can also describe a place that is quiet and not busy, as in "a sleepy town." Do not say *"a sleeping town"* for this meaning; use "sleepy town" instead.
Meaning
quiet, with little activity
Collocations
sleepy town
|sleepy village
|sleepy little town
|sleepy street
|sleepy neighborhood
Synonyms
quiet (Very close in meaning; more general and more common, without the extra idea of being slow or old-fashioned.)
|
peaceful (Focuses on calm and lack of trouble; can sound more positive than "sleepy".)
Antonyms
lively (Describes a place that is full of life and activity, the opposite of a sleepy place.)
|
bustling (Emphasizes lots of busy movement and noise, strongly contrasting with "sleepy".)
Themes
places
|daily life
|society
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
Quiet and not busy, with not many people or things happening, usually talking about a place or time.
Quiet, slow, and with very little activity or excitement, especially about a place or period of time.
B2
3
Usage pattern:
[something] is [sleepy]
The band gave a rather sleepy performance and the crowd soon lost interest.
A zenekar meglehetősen lagymatag produkciót nyújtott, és a közönség hamar elvesztette az érdeklődését.
Investors are worried about the region's sleepy economy.
A befektetőket aggasztja a régió lanyha gazdasága.
The first half of the game was sleepy, but things picked up after halftime.
The song has a sleepy melody that almost puts you to sleep.
Trading was sleepy on the stock exchange ahead of the holiday.
Learner examples
The class was sleepy and no one asked questions.
Az óra lagymatag volt, és senki sem tett fel kérdéseket.
It was a sleepy game with very little action.
Vontatott meccs volt, alig történt benne valami.
The company's sales are sleepy this year.
The movie started in a slow, sleepy way.
The market was sleepy, and prices did not move much.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this use of "sleepy" always means that people want to sleep. In this sense, it more often means an activity, show, or system is slow, weak, or boring ("a sleepy economy", "a sleepy performance"), not that it is literally about sleep.
Meaning
slow and not energetic or active
Collocations
sleepy performance
|sleepy melody
|sleepy pace
|sleepy economy
|sleepy market
Synonyms
sluggish (Common in business and technical contexts; suggests being too slow or not responding well.)
|
dull (Highlights that something is boring or lacks interest, not just slow.)
Antonyms
dynamic (Emphasizes active energy and change, the opposite of a sleepy activity or market.)
|
vibrant (Suggests strong energy and excitement, especially in cultural or artistic contexts.)
Themes
business
|entertainment
|society
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Slow and not very active or strong, often talking about a show, market, or other activity.
Slow, quiet, and lacking energy, strength, or interest, often describing performances, businesses, or systems.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sleepy
IPA
GB/slˈipi/
US/slˈipi/
Syllables & stress
sleepy (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sleepy)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: sleepy
- Comparative: sleepier
- Superlative: sleepiest
Word family
Expressions
feel sleepy
1/fˈil slˈipi/
fixed phrase
have the feeling of needing sleep
To have the feeling that you want to sleep.
Examples
- I usually feel sleepy around eleven o'clock.
- If you feel sleepy while driving, you should stop and rest.
get sleepy
2/ɡˈɛt slˈipi/
fixed phrase
start to feel like sleeping
To start to feel that you want to sleep.
Examples
- Children often get sleepy after a big meal.
- I get sleepy if I read in bed.
make someone sleepy
3/mˈeɪk sˈʌmwˌʌn slˈipi/
fixed phrase
cause a person to feel sleepy
To cause a person to feel like they want to sleep.
Examples
- This medicine may make you sleepy, so do not drive after taking it.
- Warm rooms can make people sleepy during long meetings.
sleepy town
4/slˈipi tˈaʊn/
fixed phrase
quiet, not busy town
A town that is quiet and not very busy, with not many people or things happening.
Examples
- She grew up in a sleepy town by the sea.
- The company plans to open a new factory in a sleepy town in the north.