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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of somnolent
At Edgewood Tahoe, guest-room TVs show scenic views of Lake Tahoe behind a somnolent custom soundtrack by Sleepy Podcast host Otis Gray reading poetry by Robert Frost.
—
Jon Marcus, BostonGlobe.com, 15 June 2023
The movie is almost entirely a flashback, narrated from the perspective of one of its main characters, Saul Manfred (Barney Phillips), a doctor from the North who’s a recent arrival in the cozy but somnolent seaside town of Braddock, North Carolina, where the action is set.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022
The two men complement each other perfectly: Herzog, who provides the film’s sinuously somnolent voice-over narration in his best Bavarian tones, has a mystic-rhapsodic temperament, while Oppenheimer, who, unlike Herzog, is often seen on camera, is more like a hard science David Attenborough type.
—The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Nov. 2020
The Sunday crowd, which had been somnolent in previous Big Ten games, was juiced.
—Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press, 5 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for somnolent 
Jon Marcus, BostonGlobe.com, 15 June 2023
The movie is almost entirely a flashback, narrated from the perspective of one of its main characters, Saul Manfred (Barney Phillips), a doctor from the North who’s a recent arrival in the cozy but somnolent seaside town of Braddock, North Carolina, where the action is set.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022
The two men complement each other perfectly: Herzog, who provides the film’s sinuously somnolent voice-over narration in his best Bavarian tones, has a mystic-rhapsodic temperament, while Oppenheimer, who, unlike Herzog, is often seen on camera, is more like a hard science David Attenborough type.
—The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Nov. 2020
The Sunday crowd, which had been somnolent in previous Big Ten games, was juiced.
—Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press, 5 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for somnolent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for somnolent
Adjective
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January is typically the sleepiest month on the MLB calendar, and the New York Yankees likely won’t disturb slumber much.—
Brendan Kuty,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
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When the sun goes down, the South Shore of Lake Tahoe is not a sleepy town.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In Waves takes audiophiles through angelic soundscapes, club-ready tracks, joyful beats, driving bass, hypnotic toplines and more.—
Lisa Kocay,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
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The hypnotic music, scents, and sounds of flowing streams set the tranquil tone.—
Sheryl Nance-Nash,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Green Bay could finish as high as sixth in the NFC if the resting Rams lose to the 49ers, potentially setting up a first-round matchup against the division-rival Lions.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2024
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In this condition, a lot of the hairs all over the scalp going into the resting phase all at once–this is seen clinically as an abrupt significant increase in shedding.—
Tatjana Freund,
ELLE,
4 Aug. 2023
Adjective
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The movie starts at a drowsy hilltop picnic, which is interrupted when a prince (Denzel Washington, magnificent) and his military entourage—including Branagh and Keanu Reeves, as the duke’s bad-hearted brother—ride into view, galloping up the Tuscan road in thrilling slow motion.—
Helen Shaw,
The New Yorker,
11 Dec. 2024
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Fatigue Being tired at the end of the day or drowsy at bedtime is not the same thing as fatigue, which is more severe than simply feeling tired.—
Nancy LeBrun,
Verywell Health,
27 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near somnolent
Cite this Entry
“Somnolent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/somnolent. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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