somnolent

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparableformalliterary

   Sleepy and almost asleep, or making people feel that way.

   Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a somnolent afternoon, he felt somnolent.

   Patterns

   • somnolent after something
   • a somnolent + noun

   The somnolent cat barely opened an eye when we came in.

   After the heavy lunch, the whole class felt somnolent.

   The lecturer's somnolent voice sent half the room to sleep.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nounliteraryfigurative

   Very quiet and slow, with little activity going on.

   Grammar: Usually describes places or times: a somnolent village.

   Patterns

   • a somnolent + place

   It was a somnolent little town where nothing ever seemed to happen.

   They spent a somnolent week by the lake.

   The harbor was somnolent in the midday heat.

Word forms

Common combinations

somnolent afternoon

On a somnolent afternoon, the library was almost silent.

somnolent village

The film is set in a somnolent village by the sea.

somnolent voice

The speaker's somnolent voice made me yawn.

feel somnolent

I always feel somnolent after a big meal.

somnolent state

The patient was in a somnolent state after the medication.

Synonyms and how they differ

drowsy

Drowsy is the common everyday word for feeling sleepy, while somnolent sounds more literary.

sleepy

Sleepy is the simplest choice and works in all situations, whereas somnolent is rare in speech.

lethargic

Lethargic suggests a lack of energy, possibly from illness, rather than just wanting to sleep.

dozy

Dozy is informal and British, and can also mean slow-witted, which somnolent does not.

Opposites

Word family

somnolence noun

a state of sleepiness

somnolently adverb

in a sleepy way

insomnia noun

habitual inability to sleep

somnambulist noun

a person who walks in their sleep

Commonly confused: somnolent or insomniac?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “somnolent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words