soporific

/ˌsɒpəˈrɪfɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌsɑːpəˈrɪfɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌsä-pə-ˈri-fik/ (ame, mw)

soporific — 形容詞

  • soporificpositive
  • more soporificcomparative
  • most soporificsuperlative

1. making you feel very sleepy or sending you to sleep — especially of a sound, a r

1.形容詞B2
釋義

催眠的；助眠

使人想睡覺或入睡的

making you feel very sleepy or sending you to sleep — especially of a sound, a room temperature, a medicine, or a repetitive activity that gently pushes the mind toward rest.

例句

The steady hum of the train's engine had a soporific effect on Yuki, who dozed off before the first stop.

火車引擎穩定的轟鳴聲對 Yuki 產生了催眠效果，她在第一站之前就睡著了。

soporific effect + [emotion/state] on [person]

Grandmother's soporific chamomile tea always put Ananya to sleep within minutes.

奶奶的助眠洋甘菊茶總能讓 Ananya 幾分鐘內就睡著。

soporific [noun] modifies a substance or thing that induces sleep

同義詞
  • sleep-inducing

    more literal and clinical; used especially of medications

  • hypnotic

    stronger medical term for drugs that produce sleep; also means 'mesmerising'

  • somnolent

    describes a sleepy state rather than something that causes it

反義詞

用法筆記

Used to describe something that actively causes sleep, not merely occurring while asleep. The subject is typically a sound, a substance, an activity, or an atmosphere.

常見錯誤

❌I felt soporific after the long walk.
✅The long walk had a soporific effect on me.
💡'soporific' describes the thing causing sleepiness, not the person feeling sleepy.

2. making your mind feel slow, dull, or less alert — not necessarily putting you to

2.形容詞C1
釋義

令人昏沉的

使精神遲鈍或昏沉的

making your mind feel slow, dull, or less alert — not necessarily putting you to sleep, but draining your energy to concentrate or think clearly.

例句

Dmitri found the endless spreadsheets soporific; his focus wavered after just twenty minutes.

Dmitri 覺得那些沒完沒了的試算表令人昏沉；不到二十分鐘他的注意力就開始渙散。

find + [noun] + soporific — mental dulling

The soporific heat of the tropical afternoon made everyone in the garden shed abandon their work.

熱帶午後令人昏沉的暑氣讓花園小屋裡的每個人都放下了手邊的工作。

同義詞
  • lethargic

    describes the resulting state rather than the cause

  • stupefying

    stronger; suggests the mind is nearly numb

  • enervating

    suggests a draining of strength or vitality over time

反義詞
  • bracing

    fresh and energising, the opposite of dulling

  • lively

    full of mental energy and engagement

用法筆記

This sense is about mental dullness or lethargy rather than actual falling asleep. The cause may be boredom, heat, monotony, or a tedious task. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 emphasises sluggish thinking, not necessarily sleep.

常見錯誤

❌The soporific medicine stopped the cough.
✅The soporific medicine made me drowsy.
💡'soporific' means causing sleep/dullness, not curing anything.

soporific — 名詞