somnolent

adjective

ˈsäm-nə-lənt How to pronounce somnolent (audio)
Definition of somnolentnext
1
as in sleepy
desiring or needing sleep trying to teach somnolent students on a very hot day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hypnotic
tending to cause sleep the somnolent hum of insects in the grass

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 somnolent Cliché upon cliché, The Magic of Belle Isle rests heavy on the considerable charm of its actors and the utterly somnolent predictability of the storytelling. — Will Leitch, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025 While there are a half-dozen or so worthy books on the list, most of them are somnolent doctoral theses that probably should not have been acquired in the first place. — George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 21 May 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for somnolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for somnolent
  1. sleepy
  2. hypnotic
  3. sleeping
  4. resting
  5. drowsy
Adjective
  • But only a few days ago, this sleepy community was struck by tragedy when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old father and Colombian national.
    — Carine Hajjar, Washington Post, 21 July 2026
  • The formerly sleepy economies of suburban Austin, Texas and Syracuse, NY are getting two new semiconductor chip plants.
    — Adrian Ma, NPR, 21 July 2026
Definition of sleepy
Adjective
  • Four Tet’s sense for sound design shines from crushed 8-bit drums to the hypnotic handpan grooves and sharp synth melodies.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 19 July 2026
  • The London saxophonist and his ensemble fuse jazz with diverse strains of global trance music—Moroccan gnawa, Berlin kosmische—into a hypnotic, utopian expression of spiritual union.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026
Definition of hypnotic
Adjective
  • An autopsy showed that the infant died from asphyxiation secondary to a co-sleeping/overlay event with an unsafe sleeping environment.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of sleeping
Adjective
  • That’s because when the body experiences physical stress, including losing weight quickly, more hairs can shift into a resting phase and fall out a few months later — typically two to three months after the event, Rossi explains.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 17 Feb. 2026
  • This is a condition where, due to stress or hormonal changes, the body puts the hair follicles into a resting phase.
    — Essence, Essence, 19 Dec. 2025
Definition of resting
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

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somnolence
somnolent
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Cite this Entry

“Somnolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/somnolent. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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