1
as in sleepy
desiring or needing sleep
trying to teach somnolent students on a very hot day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hypnotic
tending to cause sleep
the somnolent hum of insects in the grass
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
See All Example Sentences for somnolent
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
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
See All Example Sentences for somnolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for somnolent
Adjective
-
Our matinée audiences are sleepy.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
-
Alexandre Tabaste/Cheval Blanc Paris Alexandre Tabaste Alexandre Tabaste Skip the sleepy districts that house so many of Paris’s plush hotels, and book a private perch with a bird’s eye view of the river and La Samaritaine as your fashion-forward neighbor.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The hypnotic motifs and stylized figures in these collections lit a fuse for Nilsson and her peers, seeding a fascination with non-Western art that has continued throughout her career.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
The haunting and hypnotic story follows stepbrothers Niall (Mitchell Robertson as a teen, Jamie Bell as an adult) and Ruben (Stuart Campell as a teen, Gadd as an adult) over 30 years, as their uneasy yet unshakeable bond becomes an increasingly toxic relationship.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
29 May 2026
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
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
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
Cite this Entry
“Somnolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/somnolent. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
