soporific

• soporifick (obsolete)

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

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌsɒp.əˈɹɪf.ɪk/, /ˌsoʊ.pəˈɹɪf.ɪk/

soporific (plural soporifics)

1. Something inducing sleep, especially a drug.

   The doctor prescribed a soporific to help the patient sleep.

2. (figuratively) Something boring or dull.

• See also Thesaurus:soporific

soporific (comparative more soporific, superlative most soporific)

1. Tending to induce sleep.

   The professor delivered a soporific lecture.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter I, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. In Six Volumes, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: Printed by A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 928184292, book V:

     For 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;

   • 1909, Beatrix Potter, The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies:

     It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is “soporific.” I have never felt sleepy after eating lettuces; but then I am not a rabbit. They certainly had a very soporific effect upon the Flopsy Bunnies!

2. (figuratively) Boring, dull.

• See also Thesaurus:soporific

From French soporifique.

• IPA^(key): /so.poˈri.fik/

soporific m or n (feminine singular soporifică, masculine plural soporifici, feminine and neuter plural soporifice)

1. soporific

   Synonyms: somnifer, soporifer