soporific

adjective sop·o·rif·ic \ ˌsä-pə-ˈri-fik \

Updated on: 5 Apr 2018

Definition of soporific

1 a : causing or tending to cause sleep

soporific drugs

b : tending to dull awareness or alertness

2 : of, relating to, or marked by sleepiness or lethargy

See soporific defined for English-language learners

soporific was our Word of the Day on 11/30/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of soporific in a Sentence

the soporific heat of summer
this medication is soporific, so do not drive after taking it

Recent Examples of soporific from the Web

Three goals in the final 15 minutes put a gloss on a largely soporific performance at a well-below capacity Emirates Stadium.

— afp, chicagotribune.com, "Aubameyang brace leads late Arsenal win over Stoke," 1 Apr. 2018
And at a time when politics seems to be downright histrionic in many parts of the world, Germany’s election campaign has felt surprisingly soporific.

— yascha mounk, Slate Magazine, "You Snooze, She Wins," 13 Sep. 2017
The once-soporific Uzbek media was allowed to explore some topics previously considered taboo.

— yaroslav trofimov, WSJ, "In Uzbekistan, Signs of a Thaw After Decades of Repression," 14 Sep. 2017
Under the guise of Bedouin, the pair have championed a signature sound that is best described as beautifully soporific.

— michael sundius, Billboard, "Bedouin Recreate Pink Floyd Classic; Listen to Guy Gerber's Official Remix: Exclusive Premiere," 24 Aug. 2017
The lawyer, with her drab colors and soporific delivery, seemed intent on boring Americans into compliant indifference.

— katy waldman, Slate Magazine, "Look at My Papers! Look at My Lawyer!," 11 Jan. 2017
Living in the shadow of nuclear annihilation, and having freshly returned from war, whites found their own culture anemic and soporific.

— graeme wood, The Atlantic, "His Kampf," 14 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'soporific.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

"It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is 'soporific.' I have never felt sleepy after eating lettuces; but then I am not a rabbit." In The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter, the children of Benjamin Bunny were very nearly done in by Mr. McGregor because they ate soporific lettuces that put them into a deep sleep. Their near fate can help you recall the history of soporific. The term traces to the Latin noun sopor, which means "deep sleep." (That root is related to somnus, the Latin word for sleep and the name of the Roman god of sleep.) French speakers used sopor as the basis of soporifique, which was probably the model for the English soporific.

Origin and Etymology of soporific

probably from French soporifique, from Latin sopor deep sleep; akin to Latin somnus sleep — more at somnolent

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1665

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

soporific Synonyms

Other Pharmacology Terms

anodyne, cathartic, emetic, emollient, liniment, paregoric, poultice, purgative, spectrum

soporific

noun

Definition of soporific

: a soporific agent; specifically : hypnotic 1

Recent Examples of soporific from the Web

This never made sense anyway, though for the gullible few, inflamed rhetoric has apparently served as an effective soporific.

— thomas jewell, cleveland.com, "A Noble choice: Carol Roe selected as new Cleveland Heights mayor," 3 Jan. 2018
The flow is further evident in the variety of tracks, which span the gamut from lush deep house rhythms to soporific electronica and ambient compositions.

— michael sundius, Billboard, "Nic Fanciulli Talks Collaborating with Gorillaz's Damon Albarn, Releases Debut Album 'My Heart'," 30 Oct. 2017
Tennis would appear to be inherently ill suited to radio, both overly busy and potentially as soporific, in terms of narration, as something like the shipping news.

— sarah lyall, New York Times, "‘Youzhny Lobs! Federer’s Underneath!’ Challenge of Tennis on Radio," 8 Sep. 2017
Walker, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, even goes so far as to pre-emptively acknowledge his book’s potential soporific powers.

— david kamp, New York Times, "Exploring the Necessity and Virtue of Sleep," 10 Oct. 2017
McConnell’s defeatism is both a soporific for the Right and a stimulant for the Left.

— deroy murdock, National Review, "Senate Majority Leader McConnell Should . . . Lead the Senate Majority," 10 July 2017

First Known Use of soporific

circa 1727

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Pharmacology Terms

anodyne, cathartic, emetic, emollient, liniment, paregoric, poultice, purgative, soporific, spectrum

SOPORIFIC Defined for English Language Learners

soporific

adjective

Definition of soporific for English Language Learners

: causing a person to become tired and ready to fall asleep

Medical Dictionary

soporific

adjective so·po·rif·ic \ -ˈrif-ik \

medical Definition of soporific

: causing or tending to cause sleep

soporific

noun

medical Definition of soporific

: a soporific agent (as a drug)

Learn More about soporific

See words that rhyme with soporific Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for soporific Spanish Central: Translation of soporific Nglish: Translation of soporific for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of soporific for Arabic speakers

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soporific

Definition of soporific

soporific was our Word of the Day on 11/30/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of soporific in a Sentence

Recent Examples of soporific from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of soporific

soporific Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Pharmacology Terms

soporific

Definition of soporific

Recent Examples of soporific from the Web

First Known Use of soporific

Other Pharmacology Terms

SOPORIFIC Defined for English Language Learners

soporific

Definition of soporific for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

soporific

medical Definition of soporific

soporific

medical Definition of soporific

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