hypnotic

American  

[hip-not-ik] / hɪpˈnɒt ɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism.

2. inducing or like something that induces hypnosis.

3. susceptible to hypnotism, as a person.

4. inducing sleep.

---

noun

1. an agent or drug that produces sleep; sedative.

2. a person who is susceptible to hypnosis.

3. a person under the influence of hypnotism.

hypnotic British  

/ hɪpˈnɒtɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or producing hypnosis or sleep

2. (of a person) susceptible to hypnotism

---

noun

1. a drug or agent that induces sleep

2. a person susceptible to hypnosis

Other Word Forms

• antihypnotic
  adjective
• antihypnotically
  adverb
• hypnotically
  adverb
• nonhypnotic
  adjective
• nonhypnotically
  adverb
• prehypnotic
  adjective
• unhypnotic
  adjective
• unhypnotically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of hypnotic

1680–90; < Late Latin hypnōticus < Greek hypnōtikós sleep-inducing, narcotic, equivalent to hypnō- (variant stem of hypnoûn to put to sleep; see Hypnos) + -tikos -tic

Explanation

Hypnotic things either relate to hypnosis — putting people under spells — or anything that is mesmerizing or spellbinding. You know how hypnotists put people under spells and then make them quack like a duck, or do something equally silly? Hypnotic things relate to hypnosis — like a hypnotist's calm, entrancing, hypnotic voice — or other things that tend to grab people's attention in a similar way. The voice of a powerful public speaker could be described as hypnotic. Great music that you can’t turn off could also be considered hypnotic. Anything hypnotic has a powerful hold on your attention.

Example Sentences

Hypnotic and scored by folktronica artist Alex G with an appearance by musician Phoebe Bridgers, “I Saw the TV Glow” has a transporting lull of its own.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2024

Anderson played with the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, a street band that traveled to do their work from Chicago to New York to New Orleans and Los Angeles.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 10, 2021

He put out thoughtful, propulsive records both on his own and with The Heartbreakers through 2014's finely honed Hypnotic Eye.

From Time • Oct. 3, 2017

That, rather than musical innovation, or constant eclectic shapeshifting, was Tom Petty’s métier: his songwriting was still as potent as ever on 2014’s Hypnotic Eye.

From The Guardian • Oct. 3, 2017

Hypnotic suggestion, which induces sleep, stills pain, silences fear, abolishes functional disturbances, works chiefly palliatively.

From The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Volume 10 by Various

Related Words

• mesmerizing
• soothing