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.

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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

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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; Hypnos ) + -tikos -tic

Example Sentences

Curiously, he notes, people have such reverence for these hypnotic streams of light that they duck to avoid disturbing them rather than crossing in front of them.

From Los Angeles Times

The host handed me a blindfold and Bose noise-canceling headphones, playing the hypnotic sounds of a space drum with birds chirping in the distance.

From Los Angeles Times

While Martin reigned supreme on the top charts — and as his hypnotic music video circulated across the popular MTV channel — the mainstream media would zero in on more than his music.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s got one of the most hypnotic grooves heard on pop radio in the last decade!

From Los Angeles Times

The rendition is hypnotic but also distancing, making these utopian dreamworlds seem even more artificial than they already were, now ungrounded in space and time, crowds moving en masse through cosmic anthills.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• mesmerizing
• soothing