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Drowsy vs Sleepy - What's the difference?

drowsy | sleepy |

As adjectives the difference between drowsy and sleepy

is that drowsy is inclined to drowse; heavy with sleepiness; lethargic; dozy while sleepy is tired; feeling the need for sleep.

As a noun sleepy is

the gum that builds up in the eye.

drowsy

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Inclined to drowse; heavy with sleepiness; lethargic; dozy.
    • I was feeling drowsy and so decided to make a cup of coffee to try to wake myself up.
  • Disposing to sleep; lulling; soporific.
    • It was a warm, drowsy summer afternoon.
  • Dull; stupid.

    • Derived terms

    * drowsiness

    sleepy

    English

    (wikipedia sleepy)

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Tired; feeling the need for sleep.
  • * Dryden
    • She wak'd her sleepy crew.
  • Suggesting tiredness.
  • * 1994 , (Stephen Fry), (The Hippopotamus) Chapter 2
    • At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth, stepped back from the tree and listened. There were no sounds of any movement upstairs: no shouts, no sleepy grumbles, only a gentle tinkle from the decorationsas the tree had recovered from the collision.
  • Tending to induce sleep; soporific.
    • a sleepy drink or potion
  • Dull; lazy; heavy; sluggish.
  • * William Shakespeare
    • 'Tis not sleepy business; / But must be looked to speedily and strongly.
  • Quiet; without bustle or activity.
    • a sleepy English village

    Synonyms

    * tired * See also

    Noun

    (-)
  • (informal) The gum that builds up in the eye
  • * 1964 , Ken Kesey, Sometimes a great notion
    • "Did he always leave the sleepy in his eyes?" "Never removed it; let it build up in the comers of his eyes over the weeks until it was heavy enough to fall...
  • * 1991 , Martin Amis, London fields
    • But the nightdress was heavy, the sleepy in her eyes was heavy, her hair (she made a mustache of one of its locks) was heavy and smelled of cigarettes...