lull to sleep

lull to sleep — phrasal verb

  • lull to sleepbase form
  • lulls to sleep3rd person singular
  • lulling to sleep-ing form
  • lulled to sleeppast simple

1. to calm or comfort a person or animal through gentle actions, sounds, or a peace

1.片語動詞及物B1
釋義

to calm or comfort a person or animal through gentle actions, sounds, or a peaceful atmosphere, so that they gradually fall asleep

例句

Nellie hummed a gentle tune to **lull the baby to sleep** after his evening bath.

active construction: lull + person + to sleep

The steady rhythm of the rocking chair **lulled Mauricio to sleep** before he finished his page.

inanimate subject: motion lulls to sleep

同義詞
  • soothe to sleep

    More general; 'soothe' does not always result in actual sleep, only calmness

  • sing to sleep

    More specific; implies the use of singing or a song

  • rock to sleep

    More specific; implies a rocking motion, typically holding a baby

反義詞
  • wake up

    The direct opposite action — to stop sleeping or cause someone to stop sleeping

  • rouse

    Formal; to wake someone roughly or suddenly from sleep

文法句型

lull + person/animal + to sleep

be lulled to sleep + by + noun phrase

用法筆記

Commonly used in the passive form ('be lulled to sleep') when describing what caused the sleep. The subject is often an environmental factor (sound, motion, warmth) rather than a person. When a person is the subject, the collocation emphasises the gentle, caring nature of the action.

常見錯誤

❌I sang a song to lull the baby
✅I sang a song to lull the baby to sleep.
💡The full phrase 'to sleep' is required; 'lull someone' without 'to sleep' sounds incomplete.
❌The medicine lulled the patient to sleep.
✅The nurse's calm voice lulled the patient to sleep.
💡'Lull to sleep' describes a gentle, natural process, not a medical or chemical one. Use 'put to sleep' or 'sedate' for medication.