soporific

1 of 2

adjective

sop·​o·​rif·​ic ˌsä-pə-ˈri-fik How to pronounce soporific (audio)
1
a
: causing or tending to cause sleep
soporific drugs
b
: tending to dull awareness or alertness
2
: of, relating to, or marked by sleepiness or lethargy

soporific

2 of 2

noun

: a soporific agent
specifically : hypnotic sense 1

Did you know?

Soporific comes from Latin sopor, which means "deep sleep." That root is related to somnus, the Latin word for "sleep." Despite its meaning, somnus has been active, giving English somnolence (sleepiness), somnambulism (sleepwalking), and many other "sleepy" words.

Examples of soporific in a Sentence

Adjective the soporific heat of summer this medication is soporific, so do not drive after taking it
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
Prince Valiant Much of Spaceballs' plot kicks off when Daphne Zuniga's Princess Vespa runs away from her soporific betrothed, Prince Valium (the mighty Jim J. Bullock), at the altar. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 14 June 2025 Pritzker’s fighting words contrast with the soporific public statements coming from our universities. Luis A. Nunes Amaral, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2025 A week ago, Monaco saw the introduction of a mandatory two-stop rule, which was meant to liven up a soporific event but only succeeded in making the race look even more of a procession. Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 For the Grand Prix on Sunday, as the cars have become wider, longer and heavier, the racing is soporific, with virtually no overtaking. Ian Parkes, New York Times, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for soporific

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

probably from French soporifique, from Latin sopor deep sleep; akin to Latin somnus sleep — more at somnolent

First Known Use

Adjective

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1727, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of soporific was in 1665

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Cite this Entry

“Soporific.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soporific. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

Medical Definition

soporific

1 of 2 adjective
so·​po·​rif·​ic -ˈrif-ik How to pronounce soporific (audio)
: causing or tending to cause sleep

soporific

2 of 2 noun
: a soporific agent (as a drug)

More from Merriam-Webster on soporific

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