How You Sleep
Opposite adjectives side by side, with plain definitions and real examples.
well-rested vs sleep-deprived
well-rested
Having had enough good sleep to feel your best.
After a full eight hours, Maya woke up well-rested and went for a run before work.
sleep-deprived
Worn down from not getting enough sleep over time.
The sleep-deprived new parents kept nodding off on the couch during dinner.
refreshed vs groggy
refreshed
Feeling renewed and full of energy after rest.
He stretched by the open window, refreshed after a twenty-minute nap.
groggy
Dazed and slow, especially just after waking up.
Still groggy, she poured orange juice into her cereal bowl.
sound vs fitful
sound
Deep and undisturbed (of sleep).
The baby is sound asleep in her crib despite the thunderstorm.
fitful
Broken by frequent waking; never settling into deep sleep.
He spent a fitful night tossing and turning before his job interview.
alert vs drowsy
alert
Fully awake and quick to notice things.
A good night's sleep kept her alert through the whole three-hour exam.
drowsy
Sleepy and struggling to stay awake.
Lulled by the train's rocking, a drowsy passenger rested his head against the window.
energized vs lethargic
energized
Full of energy and eager to get going.
She bounced out of bed energized and ready to tackle her to-do list.
lethargic
Slow, heavy and lacking the energy to do anything.
After another late night of gaming, Tom has been too lethargic to get off the sofa.
calm vs jittery
calm
Peaceful and free from worry or excitement.
A warm bath and a few pages of a novel will keep you calm before bed.
jittery
Nervous and shaky, often from too much caffeine.
Three cups of coffee after dinner left him jittery and wide awake at midnight.
chipper vs grumpy
chipper
Cheerful and lively, especially in the morning.
Dad was annoyingly chipper at 6 a.m., whistling while he flipped pancakes.
grumpy
Bad-tempered and easily annoyed.
Woken by the neighbor's leaf blower, she stayed grumpy all morning.
strict vs lax
strict
Firmly sticking to a rule, with no exceptions.
They're strict about bedtime: the kids' phones go into a basket at nine sharp.
lax
Not firm or careful enough about rules.
We got lax about bedtime over the summer, and now the kids stay up past midnight.