narcolepsy
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of narcolepsy
First recorded in 1875–80; narco- + (epi)lepsy
Explanation
If it seems like your dad is always dozing on the couch, he may be lazy or he may suffer from narcolepsy — a disorder that makes people fall asleep, sometimes suddenly. Someone who's diagnosed with narcolepsy may abruptly fall asleep at any moment, although there are milder cases of narcolepsy with symptoms including excessive fatigue during the day and the need for frequent naps. A person with narcolepsy is called a narcoleptic. The French term narcolepsie was coined in 1880 by a French doctor who took the Greek word narke, "numbness," and combined it with lepsis, "attack or seizure."
Vocabulary lists containing narcolepsy
Psychological Conditions and Disorders
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Psychology
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The Mysterious Benedict Society
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He spent about 10 years looking for the gene behind the condition and ultimately discovered that people with narcolepsy who experience sudden muscle weakness were missing the chemical orexin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
They narrowly voted to exclude emideltide, which has been considered for insomnia, narcolepsy and opioid withdrawal, with numerous other marketing claims including stress, pain and cancer.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Please save us from these boring British futbol announcers that only inspire narcolepsy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
Solriamfetol, the drug evaluated in this study, is already approved for treating excessive sleepiness in people with obstructive sleep apnea and narcolepsy.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 1, 2026
The narcolepsy," continued Kennedy, taking the mask, "was due, I find, to something that affected the pituitary gland.
From The Treasure-Train by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
