The word "soporific" is spelled with four syllables: /sɒp.əˈrɪf.ɪk/. The first syllable, "sop," is pronounced with a short "o" sound, as in "hot." The second syllable, "-or-," has a vowel sound that is similar to the "ah" sound in "father." The third syllable, "-if-," has a short "i" sound, like in "tip." The final syllable, "-ic," is pronounced with a long "e" sound, as in "beet." Overall, the spelling of "soporific" reflects its Greek roots and emphasizes its sleep-inducing qualities.
Soporific is an adjective that represents something that has a tendency or ability to induce sleep or drowsiness. It can also be used to describe a substance, activity, or environment that is calming, relaxing, or soothing, likely to promote sleepiness or dullness.
When referring to a medicine, soporific indicates a drug that is specifically designed to induce sleep or to act as a sedative. These pharmaceutical compounds are often prescribed to patients who struggle with insomnia or other sleep disorders, helping them to achieve a state of calmness and assist in their ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
In a broader sense, soporific can be employed metaphorically to describe anything that is excessively boring, monotonous, or uninteresting, to the extent that it may lull or dull the mind, potentially inducing sleep or a lack of alertness. This term is commonly used to describe certain lectures, literature, speeches, or activities that may cause people to feel drowsy or disinterested due to their lack of engaging qualities.
Overall, soporific encompasses both the literal and figurative sense of inducing sleep, whether through tranquilizing medication or through activities and stimuli that have a dulling effect on the mind, leading to a drowsy or sleepy state.
Hypnotic, somnifacient, causing deep sleep.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
• Tending to cause sleep.
• A medicine or other substance that has the quality of inducing sleep.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
The word "soporific" is derived from Latin. It comes from the combination of two Latin words: "sopor", meaning "deep sleep" or "drowsiness", and the suffix "-ifc" (originally "-ificus"), which means "making" or "causing". In this case, the suffix suggests that something described as "soporific" induces sleep or drowsiness.