drowsy

English

Etymology

From drowse +‎ -y, despite the fact that drowsy (1520) is recorded before drowse (1570). Compare Old English drūsian (“to droop, drowse, become languid”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɹaʊzi/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊzi

Adjective

drowsy (comparative drowsier, superlative drowsiest)

1. Inclined to drowse; heavy with sleepiness

   I was feeling drowsy and so decided to make a cup of coffee to try to wake myself up.

   Synonyms: lethargic, dozy

2. Causing someone to fall sleep or feel sleepy; lulling; soporific.

   It was a warm, drowsy summer afternoon.

   drowsy medicine

3. Boring.
   • 1928, Historical Outlook

     The narrative throughout holds the reader; it Is not a drowsy book.

4. Dull; stupid. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Derived terms

• drowsiness

Translations

inclined to drowse

• Arabic: نَعْسَان‎ (naʿsān)
• Bulgarian: сънлив (bg) (sǎnliv)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 想睡 (xiǎng shuì), 昏昏欲睡 (zh) (hūnhūnyùshuì), 睏 (zh), 困 (zh) (kùn)

• Czech: ospalý (cs)
• Dutch: slaperig (nl)
• Finnish: unelias
• French: ensommeillé (fr), somnolent (fr)
• German: schläfrig (de)
• Greek: νυσταγμένος (el) (nystagménos)
• Irish: codlatach, suanmhar, néalmhar
• Italian: insonnolito (it), assonnato (it)
• Japanese: 眠い (ja) (ねむい, nemui), 眠たい (ねむたい, nemutai)

• Latin: sopōrus
• Latvian: miegains
• Maori: pōuruuru, hāmoemoe, hiamoe, hinamoe, harotu
• Persian: خواب و بیدار، نیمه خواب‎
• Polish: senny (pl), ospały (pl)
• Portuguese: sonolento (pt), modorrento (pt)
• Russian: со́нный (ru) (sónnyj), сонли́вый (ru) (sonlívyj), за́спанный (ru) (záspannyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: suaineach
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: поспан, сањив, дремљив

  Roman: pospan (sh), sanjiv (sh), dremljiv (sh)

• Spanish: adormecido (es), soñoliento (es) m, somnífero (es) m, soporífero (es) m, somnoliento (es) m
• Swedish: dåsig (sv)

disposing to sleep

• Bulgarian: приспивателен (bg) (prispivatelen)
• Czech: uspávající
• Finnish: unettava, nukuttava (fi)
• French: soporifique (fr)
• German: einschläfernd (de)
• Italian: soporifero (it)

• Maori: harotu, pōuruuru
• Russian: усыпля́ющий (ru) (usypljájuščij), снотво́рный (ru) (snotvórnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: suaineach
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: поспан, дремљив

  Roman: pospan (sh), dremljiv (sh)

boring

• German: müde (de), langweilig (de), verschlafen (de) (village, town)
• Portuguese: modorrento (pt)

• Russian: ну́дный (ru) (núdnyj)

dull, stupid

• French: stupide (fr)
• German: dösig

• Portuguese: modorrento (pt)
• Russian: ну́дный (ru) (núdnyj)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Irish: ^{(please verify)} ceanntrom