MEANING
Quiet and relatively inactive, with little happening.
Use it for
Low-tempo settlement life; uneventful routines; deceptive quietSuggest a place whose ordinary pace makes a disruption conspicuous.
Words that belong together
- sleepy town
- sleepy village
- sleepy backwater
On the page
The sleepy town acquired a nightlife when the college opened.
Nothing in the sleepy village prepared her for the election campaign.
The harbor district was sleepier than the streets around the station.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- sleepy
Usage notes
Primary category: setting. Figurative place sense; often affectionate, sometimes dismissive. Unlike tranquil, it stresses low activity and can imply dullness. Comparative: sleepier; superlative: sleepiest.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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