Skip to main content
narcoleptic

narcoleptic

9.9
A drug that makes a person very sleepy and fall asleep
  • noun
  • /ˌnɑr.kəˈlɛp.tɪk/
  • Specialized
: soporífico
  • The doctor administered a narcoleptic to help the patient finally get some rest.

Examples

  • The doctor prescribed a narcoleptic to help him sleep better.

  • She was warned that the effects of the narcoleptic would last for several hours.

  • Certain medications may act as a narcoleptic if taken in large doses.

  • Is a narcoleptic safe to use for sleep issues?

  • The doctor administered a narcoleptic to induce deep sleep for the patient before surgery.

  • Some people use a narcoleptic to help them fall asleep quickly during long flights.

  • Before nighttime tests, the patients were given a narcoleptic to ensure they would rest adequately.

Synonyms

hypnotic
vsnarcoleptic
  • Specialized
1 7.1

A medicine that makes you sleep or helps you stay asleep

causes sudden uncontrollable sleepiness rather than planned medical sleep
soporific
vsnarcoleptic
  • Specialized
1 9.4

A medicine that makes you sleep

brings on an uncontrollable urge to sleep rather than merely causing sleep
sedative-hypnotic drug
vsnarcoleptic
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A medicine that calms the brain, reduces worry, and makes you sleep

produces sudden uncontrollable sleep rather than general calming plus sleep aid
hypnagogue
vsnarcoleptic
  • Specialized
9.9

A medicine or plant that makes you feel sleepy

triggers a much stronger, uncontrollable need to sleep instead of mild drowsiness

Antonyms

2 5.1

Causing the body or mind to become more active

Surface Forms

narcoleptic singular
narcoleptics plural

Etymology

Narcoleptic comes from Greek parts narco- 'sleep' and -leptic 'attack', and a helpful way to remember this sense is to think of narcotic, a drug that makes you sleepy. So in this sense a narcoleptic means a drug or agent that causes strong, uncontrollable sleep.