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Lethargic vs Soporific - What's the difference?

lethargic | soporific |

As adjectives the difference between lethargic and soporific

is that lethargic is sluggish, slow while soporific is tending to induce sleep.

As a noun soporific is

something inducing sleep, especially a drug.

lethargic

English

Alternative forms

* lethargick (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • sluggish, slow
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1960 , author= , title=(Jeeves in the Offing) , section=chapter VII , passage=[That cat] hasn't caught a mouse since he was a slip of a kitten. Except when eating, he does nothing but sleep. Lethargic is the word that springs to the lips. If you cast an eye on him, you will see that he's asleep now.}}
  • indifferent, apathetic

    • Synonyms

    * torpid * lazy * unmoving

    Related terms

    * alethic, alethiology, philalethia * lethargy * Lethe

    soporific

    English

    Alternative forms

    * soporifick (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something inducing sleep, especially a drug.
    • The doctor prescribed a soporific to help the patient sleep.
  • (figuratively) Something boring or dull.

    • Synonyms

    * See also

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Tending to induce sleep.
    • The professor delivered a soporific lecture.
  • *
    • For we are not here to understand, as perhaps some have, that an author actually falls asleep while he is writing. It is true, that readers are too apt to be so overtaken; To say the truth, these soporific parts are so many scenes of serious artfully interwoven, in order to contrast and set off the rest;
  • * 1909 , (Beatrix Potter), (The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies) , [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14220/14220-h/14220-h.htm]:
    • It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is “soporific'.” ''I'' have never felt sleepy after eating lettuces; but then ''I'' am not a rabbit. They certainly had a very ' soporific effect upon the Flopsy Bunnies!
  • (lb) boring, dull

    • Synonyms

    * See also