as in wakeful
not sleeping or able to sleep
an insomniac veteran tormented by his memories of the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insomniac
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
Every night, inhabitants of the city that never sleeps are kept awake by everything from the sounds of slammed front doors reverberating down hallways to insomniac oboists who could use a few more lessons (ideally during the day).
—Natalie Wexler, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024
The kids fill their insomniac parents with love and fear.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
For the insomniac bedmate who turns on the light to read and wakes you up
An eye mask can only do so much.
—Leslie Yazel, wsj.com, 14 Dec. 2023
These narratives are magnetic forces that pull the reader into their worlds, leaving them eager to discover what comes next, from a bricklayer hiding his love for wearing red lipstick to an insomniac journalist fighting street violence.
—Roxsy Lin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2023
Her concern for her single, insomniac brother is sincere, and at moments doesn’t quite skirt condescension.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2023
An insomniac detective investigates a man's mysterious death, and begins to fall in love with his wife while staking out her apartment.
—Jacob Linden, Redbook, 29 June 2023
Tall, healthy, and narrow-shouldered, the general looked like an insomniac bear driven out of his warm den by problems springing forth outside.
—Vladimir Sorokin, Harper's Magazine, 13 July 2022
Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
Their pitch is seductive: a digital workforce imbued with the personality of your favorite brands, ready for your insomniac ping about sandals that don’t fit before a vacation.
—Craig S. Smith, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
The drawbacks of insomniacs are the hours available to analyze
a conflict—a convincing script,
a role-play of possible opinions.
—Jennifer Harlan, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Forty years ago, conspiracy theories used to be the stuff of overnight talk radio when hosts filled sleepless hours for insomniacs with hot topics like whether the moon landing was fake, which space aliens are hidden at Area 51 and whether Elvis was living on a remote island in the South Pacific.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 16 July 2024
Europe's most exquisite portrait of an insomniac, as dazzling after such a day in the sun as the moon itself.
—Antonia Quirke, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 May 2024
Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term
The misadventures that follow play like Inside Out for anxious insomniacs, as Orion rides shotgun while this gang of R.E.M.-cycle mavericks either lull folks into a restful state or aggressively knock them out .
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2024
With a library of thousands and movies and shows, even insomniacs won’t run out of things to watch.
—Bellamy Richardson, wsj.com, 6 Sep. 2023
Bears, instead, show little preference over morning or night, and dolphins are considered insomniacs who experience fragmented sleep.
—Sarah Wells, Popular Mechanics, 28 Aug. 2023
Adjective
The movie, based on Chuck Palahniuk’s subversive novel, starred Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter and followed an insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker who form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
Every night, inhabitants of the city that never sleeps are kept awake by everything from the sounds of slammed front doors reverberating down hallways to insomniac oboists who could use a few more lessons (ideally during the day).
—Natalie Wexler, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024
The kids fill their insomniac parents with love and fear.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
For the insomniac bedmate who turns on the light to read and wakes you up
An eye mask can only do so much.
—Leslie Yazel, wsj.com, 14 Dec. 2023
These narratives are magnetic forces that pull the reader into their worlds, leaving them eager to discover what comes next, from a bricklayer hiding his love for wearing red lipstick to an insomniac journalist fighting street violence.
—Roxsy Lin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2023
Her concern for her single, insomniac brother is sincere, and at moments doesn’t quite skirt condescension.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2023
An insomniac detective investigates a man's mysterious death, and begins to fall in love with his wife while staking out her apartment.
—Jacob Linden, Redbook, 29 June 2023
Tall, healthy, and narrow-shouldered, the general looked like an insomniac bear driven out of his warm den by problems springing forth outside.
—Vladimir Sorokin, Harper's Magazine, 13 July 2022
Noun
Flashbacks and montages of her girlhood and celebrity prime reveal fragments of her biography, but the movie mostly sifts through the singer’s insomniac and at times hallucinogenic hours wandering her palatial apartment and the streets of Paris to probe the mystery of Callas.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
Their pitch is seductive: a digital workforce imbued with the personality of your favorite brands, ready for your insomniac ping about sandals that don’t fit before a vacation.
—Craig S. Smith, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
The drawbacks of insomniacs are the hours available to analyze
a conflict—a convincing script,
a role-play of possible opinions.
—Jennifer Harlan, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Forty years ago, conspiracy theories used to be the stuff of overnight talk radio when hosts filled sleepless hours for insomniacs with hot topics like whether the moon landing was fake, which space aliens are hidden at Area 51 and whether Elvis was living on a remote island in the South Pacific.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 16 July 2024
Europe's most exquisite portrait of an insomniac, as dazzling after such a day in the sun as the moon itself.
—Antonia Quirke, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 May 2024
Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term
The misadventures that follow play like Inside Out for anxious insomniacs, as Orion rides shotgun while this gang of R.E.M.-cycle mavericks either lull folks into a restful state or aggressively knock them out .
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2024
With a library of thousands and movies and shows, even insomniacs won’t run out of things to watch.
—Bellamy Richardson, wsj.com, 6 Sep. 2023
Bears, instead, show little preference over morning or night, and dolphins are considered insomniacs who experience fragmented sleep.
—Sarah Wells, Popular Mechanics, 28 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insomniac
Adjective
-
Low to medium doses show a reduction in the alpha frequency of brain waves (which correspond to relaxed and wakeful states), along with rising entropy, a signature finding of sober brains sinking deeper into a trip.Oshan Jarow, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
-
Having the right pillow can make a big difference between a peaceful night’s sleep and a restless, wakeful one.Casey Clark, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
For a look ahead at the 2025 fantasy draft, read the companion piece based on the Big Board about the biggest risers and fallers to keep an eye on ahead of next season.Brandon Funston, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
-
Who should watch: Early risers who appreciate Today and, really, any fans of NBC shows will be elated.Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Using their hands and shovels in frigid conditions, rescue workers dug through the rubble in the search for survivors after a deadly magnitude 7.1 earthquake toppled houses and jolted people awake in a remote part of Tibet on Tuesday near the northern foothills of Mount Everest.Bhadra Sharma, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
-
Cottage Cheese Lasagna Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 12 uncooked lasagna noodles, from 1 (16-oz.) package Cooking spray 1 Tbsp.Ivy Odom, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
And one lively female was virtually sleepless, averaging just four minutes of sleep each day.Amber Jorgenson, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2019
-
Practical and Cute Enter the perfect solution to her sleepless nights.Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 25 Jan. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near insomniac
Cite this Entry
“Insomniac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insomniac. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share