sleeping draught: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Literary, Historical
Quick answer
What does “sleeping draught” mean?
A drink or liquid medicine taken to induce sleep.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A drink or liquid medicine taken to induce sleep.
Something that has a calming, soporific, or sedating effect, especially metaphorically.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
British English uses 'draught'. The primary American spelling is 'sleeping draft' (drăft). The word 'potion' is now more common in both dialects.
Connotations
British: Slightly more archaic/classical/literary. American: More directly linked to the concept of a 'draft' (portion/measure) of medicine.
Frequency
Very low in everyday speech in both dialects. Higher frequency in historical fiction or period dramas.
Grammar
How to Use “sleeping draught” in a Sentence
[Subject] take/administer a sleeping draughtA sleeping draught [verb: help/induce/cause] sleepVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sleeping draught” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The doctor will draught a sleeping potion for the patient.
American English
- The physician drafted a strong sedative for her insomnia.
adverb
British English
- He drank it sleeping-draught quickly.
American English
- (No standard adverbial use for this noun phrase.)
adjective
British English
- The sleeping-draught bottle was kept on the high shelf.
American English
- The sleeping-draft mixture had a bitter taste.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphor for policies or events that stifle activity or growth (e.g., 'The new regulations acted as a sleeping draught on innovation').
Academic
Appears in historical or literary studies discussing pre-modern medicine, pharmacology, or Gothic fiction.
Everyday
Rare. Might be used humorously or metaphorically for a very boring event.
Technical
Historical term in pharmacology; modern equivalents are 'hypnotic' or 'sedative-hypnotic drug'.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “sleeping draught”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “sleeping draught”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sleeping draught”
- Misspelling: 'sleeping draft' (UK) or 'sleeping draught' (US). Confusing with 'sleeping drought' (nonsense). Using it for modern prescription pills.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Conceptually, yes, but 'sleeping draught' specifically refers to a liquid drink, is archaic, and has literary connotations, whereas 'sleeping pill' is the modern term for solid medication.
It is pronounced /drɑːft/, which rhymes with 'craft' and 'laughed' in British English.
Only in a deliberate, metaphorical sense (e.g., 'The new tax is a sleeping draught for small businesses'). It would sound unusual and overly dramatic in literal use.
A 'potion' is any magical or medicinal drink. A 'draught' (or draft) is specifically a single portion or act of drinking such a liquid (e.g., 'he took a draught of the potion'). The terms are often used interchangeably in 'sleeping draught/potion'.
A drink or liquid medicine taken to induce sleep.
Sleeping draught is usually formal, literary, historical in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A financial sleeping draught (metaphorical for a sluggish economy)”
- “His speech was a sleeping draught for the audience.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a knight in a DRAUGHTy castle drinking a DRAFT of potion to SLEEP.
Conceptual Metaphor
SLEEP IS A JOURNEY INDUCED BY A POTION (You take a draught to go on the journey of sleep).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'sleeping draught' LEAST likely to be used today?