narcosis

noun

nar·​co·​sis när-ˈkō-səs 

plural narcoses när-ˈkō-ˌsēz 

: a state of stupor, unconsciousness, or arrested activity produced by the influence of narcotics or other chemical or physical agents compare nitrogen narcosis

Examples of narcosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By the end of the 1960s, what remained of the Western counterculture had turned increasingly to violence, decadence, and narcosis as the political and cultural utopia promised in the previous decade had begun to collapse. —Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025

The carbon dioxide was poisoning him, causing narcosis marked by vivid hallucinations. —Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024

After many more tests, the duo’s conclusion was the same as Behnke’s: Yes, the narcosis was real. —Rachel Lance, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024

For most divers that experience narcosis, the effects are more akin to mild to moderate cognitive impairment, not the impact of powerful hallucinogens. —Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 23 June 2017

The anesthetic is administered slowly, so that the narcosis condition creeps into the hypnotic state. —Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2022

As soon as the operation is over the narcosis ends, but the hypnotic condition continues. —Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2022

Because the reef was located so far down, guarding against narcosis or even states of drowsiness was vital in order to let the scientists study the reef. —Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 11 Feb. 2022

Even experts risk equipment failures, insufficient decompression, and the dangerous confusion induced by nitrogen narcosis. —Nick Romeo, National Geographic, 11 July 2016

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin narcōsis, borrowed from Greek nárkōsis "benumbing," from narkō-, variant stem of narkoûn "to benumb, deaden" (verbal derivative of nárkē "numbness, lack of sensation," of uncertain origin) + -sis -sis

Note: Greek nárkē has been compared with Old High German in-snerahan "to tie up (to), link (to)," hypothetically reflecting an Indo-European verbal base *snerk- "draw together, loop around" (thus Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2. Auflage, Wiesbaden, 2001; see snare entry 1), but the semantic connection is far from apparent. (The Lexikon inaccurately translates nárkē as "Krampf, Lähmung" = "cramp, paralysis.") R. Beekes (Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2009) regards the word as most likely of pre-Greek substratal origin.

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing narcosis

• nitrogen narcosis

Rhymes for narcosis

• cirrhosis
• fibrosis
• gliosis
• hypnosis
• ichthyosis
• ketosis
• kurtosis
• lordosis
• meiosis
• miosis
• mitosis
• mycosis

Kids Definition

narcosis

noun

nar·​co·​sis när-ˈkō-səs 

plural narcoses -ˈkō-ˌsēz 

: a dazed, unconscious, or inactive condition produced by chemicals (as narcotics)

Medical Definition

narcosis

noun

nar·​co·​sis när-ˈkō-səs 

plural narcoses -ˌsēz 

: a state of stupor, unconsciousness, or arrested activity produced by the influence of narcotics or other chemicals or physical agents see nitrogen narcosis