Soporific

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ËŒsÉ’p.əˈɹɪf.ɪk/, /ËŒsoÊŠ.pəˈɹɪf.ɪk/

Alternative forms

• soporifick obsolete

Origin

From French soporifique, from Latin sopor ("deep sleep"), from Proto-Indo-European *swepōr, from Proto-Indo-European *swep-. Unrelated to stupor (distinct in Proto-Indo-European).

Full definition of soporific

Noun

1. Something inducing sleep, especially a drug.The doctor prescribed a soporific to help the patient sleep.
2. (figuratively) Something boring or dull.

Synonyms

Adjective

1. Tending to induce sleep.The professor delivered a soporific lecture.
• Fielding Tom Jones|V|iFor we are not here to understand, as perhaps some have, that an author actually falls asleep while he is writing. It is true, that readers are too apt to be so overtaken; ...To say the truth, these soporific parts are so many scenes of serious artfully interwoven, in order to contrast and set off the rest;
2. (figuratively) boring, dull

Synonyms