i Register
In some senses, sleepy is marked as figuratively, informal. Watch for register when choosing this word.
adj
Tired; feeling the need for sleep.
She wak'd her sleepy crew.
Suggesting tiredness.
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 decorations as the tree had recovered from the collision.
Tending to induce sleep.
a sleepy drink or potion
[T]he yong L. Roger Mortimer, […] hauing corrupted his Keepers, or (as ſome others vvrite) hauing potioned them vvith a ſleepy drinke, eſcaped out of the Tovver of London, getting ouer clearely vvithout any empeachment into France.
Dull; lazy.
'Tis not sleepy business; But must be looked to speedily and strongly.
Quiet; without bustle or activity.
a sleepy English village
Experts believe a pandemic welfare programme for poorer Brazilians has encouraged robbers to plan bold raids in sleepy regional cities where bank branches are storing more cash.
noun
The gum that builds up in the eye; sleep, gound.
"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 […]
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 […]
Shingleback.