Standard Lemma guide

hypnotic

adj · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /hɪpˈnɒ.tɪk/
  • General-American: /hɪpˈnɑ.tɪk/
  • General-American: [hɪp̚ˈnɑ.ɾɪk̚]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒtɪk
  • CMU ARPABET: HH IH0 P N AA1 T IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mesmeric

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Capturing a person's attention to the exclusion of all else, as if placing them into a trance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: captivating

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Inducing sleep; soporific.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Dormant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

Examples

  • hypnotic seeds

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A person who is, or can be, hypnotized.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A soporific substance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective

Meaning 7

of or relating to hypnosis

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

attracting and holding interest as if by a spell

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • read the bedtime story in a hypnotic voice
  • she had a warm mesmeric charm
  • the sheer force of his presence was mesmerizing
  • a spellbinding description of life in ancient Rome

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mesmeric, mesmerizing, spellbinding

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

a drug that induces sleep

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: soporific

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: drug, hypnagogue

Narrower terms: narcoleptic, sleeping pill, sleeping tablet, sleeping capsule, sleeping draught

History

Etymology

From French hypnotique (“inclined to sleep, soporific”), from Late Latin hypnoticus, from Ancient Greek ὑπνωτικός (hupnōtikós, “inclined to sleep, putting to sleep, sleepy”), from ὑπνοῦν (hupnoûn, “to put to sleep”), from ὕπνος (húpnos, “sleep”).

Across languages

Translations

52 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: хипнотичен (hipnotičen) — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Catalan: hipnòtic — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Czech: hypnotický — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Esperanto: hipnota — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • French: hypnotique — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Galician: hipnótico — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • German: hypnotisch — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Hindi: सम्मोहक (sammohak) — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Hindi: संमोहक (sammohak) — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Ido: hipnota — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Ido: hipnotala — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Irish: hiopnóiseach — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Italian: ipnotico — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Polish: hipnotyczny — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Portuguese: hipnótico — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Scottish Gaelic: suainealach — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Spanish: hipnótico — of or relating to hypnosis or hypnotism
  • Bulgarian: приспивателен (prispivatelen) — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Catalan: hipnòtic — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Czech: uspávací — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Czech: uspávající — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Finnish: hypnoottinen — inducing sleep; soporific
  • French: hypnotique — inducing sleep; soporific
  • French: narcotique — inducing sleep; soporific
  • German: einschläfernd — inducing sleep; soporific
  • German: Schlaf- — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Greek: υπνωτικός (ypnotikós) — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Hindi: संमोहक (sammohak) — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Hindi: निद्राकारी (nidrākārī) — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Irish: hiopnóiseach — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Italian: sonnifero — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Italian: ipnotico — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Polish: nasenny — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Portuguese: sonífero — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Russian: снотво́рный (snotvórnyj) — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Scottish Gaelic: suaineach — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Scottish Gaelic: suainealach — inducing sleep; soporific
  • Catalan: hipnòtic — one who is, or can be, hypnotized
  • Arabic: مُنَوِّم (munawwim) — a soporific substance
  • Bulgarian: приспивателно (prispivatelno) — a soporific substance
  • Catalan: hipnòtic — a soporific substance
  • Czech: uspávadlo — a soporific substance
  • Czech: hypnotikum — a soporific substance
  • German: Schlafmittel — a soporific substance
  • German: Hypnotikum — a soporific substance
  • Hindi: संमोहक (sammohak) — a soporific substance
  • Irish: hiopnóiseach — a soporific substance
  • Polish: lek nasenny — a soporific substance
  • Polish: środek nasenny — a soporific substance
  • Portuguese: sonífero — a soporific substance
  • Russian: снотво́рное (snotvórnoje) — a soporific substance
  • Spanish: hipnótico — a soporific substance
Real reading context

hypnotic in complete knowledge articles