1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

hypnotic 1 of 2

adjective

hip-ˈnä-tik How to pronounce hypnotic (audio)
Definition of hypnoticnext
as in soothing
tending to cause sleep her eyes soon grew heavy from the hypnotic rhythm of the train's wheels

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hypnotic

2 of 2

noun

as in sedative

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hypnotic
Adjective
Each of these references is made to dance via hypnotic repetition, each graffitied by the sleek scratches that Flash made with his fingers on the vinyl. — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 Lee, already a master of absorbing dramas, has made what might be the most powerful, political, hypnotic film of his career. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
However, there was no increase in the number of prescriptions for anti-psychotics or hypnotics. — Jen Christensen, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 Clues point Rourke toward Diana Cruz (Alice Braga), a storefront psychic who fills the detective in on the phenomenon of hypnotics. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2023 See All Example Sentences for hypnotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypnotic
  1. soothing
  2. sedative
  3. hypnotizing
  4. tranquilizer
  5. narcotic
  6. soporific
  7. opiate
  8. drowsy
Adjective
  • Fascinatingly, however, the incantations are neither soothing nor conciliatory.
    — Eleanor Johnson, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Burnam did so as a form of protest because O’Hare kicked out another speaker, Base Mego, shortly before for picking up the microphone as a soothing tactic.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of soothing
Noun
  • As in Monster, Lizzie blamed some of her story inconsistencies on the morphine she’d been administered as a sedative.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Monroe reportedly ingested a lethal dose of Nembutal, an anxiety medication, as well as a large dose of chloral hydrate, a drug used as a sedative.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of sedative
Adjective
  • This artist layers glossy swirls over a white cat-eye base for a hypnotizing final result.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 July 2026
  • With this in mind, here are 25 stop-motion movies that are hypnotizing to watch.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
Definition of hypnotizing
Noun
  • Agent Foster, posing as a city cop, has brought a tranquilizer gun to knock out Reacher and stage his suicide.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • My mother was addicted to a tranquilizer called sodium pentothal.
    — Gloria Steinem, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of tranquilizer
Adjective
  • In August, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a temporary-scheduling-order, designating cychlorphine as a Schedule 1 narcotic, joining drugs like LSD and ecstasy.
    — Kevin Ko, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The United States military continued its efforts on Labor Day to rid the Western Hemisphere of narcotic-trafficking operations that smuggle drugs into the country.
    — Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of narcotic
Adjective
  • When things are going smoothly, the bedtime routine calls to us from the end of each day like a soporific siren song.
    — Miranda Rake, Parents, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The calm atmosphere occasionally borders on soporific.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Definition of soporific
Adjective
  • People with thyroid disease, kidney, liver or heart problems, or those taking NSAIDs, opiate pain medications or certain antidepressants can actually take in too much water.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Because poppy seeds come from the same plant species used to produce opiates, consuming large amounts can sometimes lead to detectable levels of opiate compounds in urine tests.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 19 July 2026
Definition of opiate
Adjective
  • Allergy drugs can ease those symptoms and make people drowsy, potentially offering relief from insomnia.
    — Kara Smythe, EverydayHealth.com, 15 May 2026
  • Fleets that deployed the company's AI dash cams, which detect drowsy or distracted driving, saw a 73% reduction in accidents after 30 months, according to company data from more than 2,600 customers.
    — TIME Contributors, Time, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of drowsy

Browse Nearby Words

hypnosis
hypnotic
hypnotics
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hypnotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypnotic. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hypnotic

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hypnotic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All