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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of somnolent
The nighttime strike on somnolent Russians might not have been possible just a few months ago.
—
David Axe, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 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
Neuroscientists have long had an explanation for our somnolent twitches.
—Amanda Gefter, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for somnolent
David Axe, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 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
Neuroscientists have long had an explanation for our somnolent twitches.
—Amanda Gefter, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for somnolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for somnolent
Adjective
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In other cases, the reasons for transferring may not be as clear-cut—for instance, a student simply didn’t mesh with the social scene on campus or doesn’t like the sleepy town their college is located in.—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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This recently opened hotel on the sleepy island of Folegandros is set high on the cliffside, surrounded by 80 acres of rugged nature and with the Aegean Sea directly in front.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Nazism’s total domination politically and socially found an aesthetic counterpart in the visual reduction of bodies to things, ecstatically subdued before the hypnotic power of a leader, force, or sublime beauty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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Plus, Palmer and Goode's oh-so-palpable chemistry conjures up a hypnotic charm that even Harkness couldn't resist.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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But President Trump’s decision to acknowledge a covert U.S. strike on Venezuelan territory, in an interview with an obscure local news outlet on Friday, set off a scramble in a drowsy Washington that has become a hallmark of the president.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2025
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But on his debut solo album, Heavy Metal, the rising art-rock star reveals his hand as a singer-songwriter extraordinaire, toning things down and slipping into a drowsy falsetto.—
Jason Lamphier,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Somnolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/somnolent. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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