1
as in sleepy
desiring or needing sleep
trying to teach somnolent students on a very hot day
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2
as in hypnotic
tending to cause sleep
the somnolent hum of insects in the grass
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Recent Examples of somnolent
Washington’s running game, which had been somnolent for a month, came back to life Saturday, gaining 182 yards against the Lions.
—
David Aldridge, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
In it, bands play a quieter part of the song, or start softly, setting a somnolent mood before blowing it apart with a sudden shift in volume and dynamics, with little more warning than some transitional guitar feedback.
—Aaron Gilbreath, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2024
Neuroscientists have long had an explanation for our somnolent twitches.
—Amanda Gefter, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2023
Returning to the somnolent complacency of years past is not an option.
—Elbridge Colby, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for somnolent
David Aldridge, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
In it, bands play a quieter part of the song, or start softly, setting a somnolent mood before blowing it apart with a sudden shift in volume and dynamics, with little more warning than some transitional guitar feedback.
—Aaron Gilbreath, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2024
Neuroscientists have long had an explanation for our somnolent twitches.
—Amanda Gefter, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2023
Returning to the somnolent complacency of years past is not an option.
—Elbridge Colby, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for somnolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for somnolent
Adjective
-
Unlike Bacalar, which is relatively new to tourism, Tulum has been transformed from a sleepy backwater into a pumping party town.—
Simon Willis,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Most days are quiet in Armenia’s sleepy southern province of Syunik.—
Michele Crestani,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With 2020’s roguelike Hades, Supergiant Games mastered the hypnotic allure of the live-die-repeat cycle by making every attempt have meaning.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Spacey guitar, hypnotic synths and jazzy percussion bubbled under Zardoya's spell-binding vocals.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Taking minoxidil orally can support the hair follicle cycle and trigger anagen (the resting phase) prematurely.—
Jessie Quinn,
Flow Space,
23 Sep. 2025
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During the resting phase, hair stops growing and will shed, or fall out.—
Jessica Swirble,
Verywell Health,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
There’s nothing quite as soothing as the drowsy calmness that washes over you when your partner runs their hands through your hair.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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The DeWine administration cited driver safety as a catalyst for the project: officials noted that truck drivers who can't find a parking spot are known to drive drowsy or pull over to sleep in unsafe areas.—
Annie Goldman,
The Enquirer,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Somnolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/somnolent. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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