somnolent
Americanadjective
-
sleepy; drowsy.
- Synonyms:
- slumberous
-
tending to cause sleep.
- Synonyms:
- soporific, somniferous
adjective
-
drowsy; sleepy
-
causing drowsiness
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of somnolent
1425–75; late Middle English sompnolent < Old French < Latin somnolentus, derivative of somnus sleep; see -ulent
Compare meaning
How does somnolent compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If you're somnolent, you're feeling sleepy or drowsy. It's best to avoid operating speedboats or motorcycles when you're somnolent. Somnolent comes from the Latin word somnolentia, meaning "sleepiness," which in turn is from the Latin root somnus, for "sleep." You can feel somnolent, or describe something as being somnolent. Something described as somnolent is likely to induce sleep, like a boring movie in an overheated theater, or the low, somnolent lighting in a museum exhibit of fragile, old manuscripts.
Vocabulary lists containing somnolent
"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
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In Cold Blood
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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.
At press briefings he grows increasingly somnolent when asked to address any topic that isn’t the supersized neoclassical ballroom currently under construction atop the rubble of the White House East Wing.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
Exoprojection in which the somnolent user is able to assume a conscious awareness of an ideal reality from the past.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
Overall, the recording slides between hypnotic and somnolent.
From New York Times ● Mar. 30, 2023
Set against the backdrop of a somnolent downtown, says Ms. Respress, the McPherson Square encampment feeds the impression that homelessness is exploding in D.C.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 10, 2023
He would go to work and perform his tasks in a somnolent haze.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
Definitions 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.
