soporific: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal, literary, sometimes humorous
Quick answer
What does “soporific” mean?
Tending to cause sleep or drowsiness.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Tending to cause sleep or drowsiness.
Used more broadly to describe anything that is boring, tedious, or induces a state of mental lethargy, not just physical sleep.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is similar in meaning and frequency. No major syntactic or semantic differences.
Connotations
Slightly more likely to be used in a humorous or ironic way in British English.
Frequency
Low frequency in both varieties, but perhaps marginally more common in written British English due to its literary tone.
Grammar
How to Use “soporific” in a Sentence
have a ~ effect on someonebe ~ to listen to/watchprove ~Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “soporific” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- This word is not standardly used as a verb.
American English
- This word is not standardly used as a verb.
adverb
British English
- The lecturer droned soporifically for an hour.
- The heat acted soporifically on the sunbathers.
American English
- The movie progressed soporifically, with little action.
- The medicine worked soporifically, easing him into sleep.
adjective
British English
- The warm, stuffy room had a distinctly soporific effect on the audience.
- He was prescribed a soporific medication for his insomnia.
American English
- The senator's soporific speech made it hard to stay awake.
- The drug's primary effect is soporific, not analgesic.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used metaphorically in critiques: 'The quarterly reports are a soporific necessity.'
Academic
Used in medical/biological contexts (e.g., 'soporific agents'), and in literary criticism.
Everyday
Uncommon. Used for humorous exaggeration: 'His lectures are pure soporific.'
Technical
Used in pharmacology and medicine to describe sleep-inducing substances or effects.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “soporific”
- Mispronunciation: stressing the first syllable (/ˈsɒpərɪfɪk/).
- Using it as a verb ('it soporifies me').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's a low-frequency, formal word most often encountered in written English or careful speech.
Yes, though less common. As a countable noun, it means 'a drug or other substance that induces sleep' (e.g., 'The doctor prescribed a soporific').
They are close synonyms. 'Sedative' is more clinical and often implies reducing anxiety or excitement, while 'soporific' more directly implies causing sleep. 'Soporific' is also used more broadly for anything boring.
Yes, it is a strongly critical and often impolite way to say their speech was extremely boring and made people sleepy. Use with caution.
Tending to cause sleep or drowsiness.
Soporific is usually formal, literary, sometimes humorous in register.
Soporific: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsɒp.ərˈɪf.ɪk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsɑː.pəˈrɪf.ɪk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this word.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'SOPOrific' – it makes you want to hit the SOfa and snORE.
Conceptual Metaphor
BOREDOM IS SLEEP / A BORING THING IS A SLEEPING AGENT
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'soporific' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?