Insomnia: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Insomnia noun. Habitual difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep.
How to say it
in-SOM-nee-uh/ɪnˈsɒmnɪə/
4 syllables, stressed on the second (SOM). Forms: insomniac.
Insomnia in a sentence
During exam season her insomnia meant long nights with the radio on low.
A lifelong insomniac, he wrote most of his novels between two and five in the morning.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- sleeplessness
- wakefulness
Where insomnia comes from
From Latin insomnis, sleepless, from in-, not, and somnus, sleep.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
A lifelong _____, he wrote most of his novels between two and five in the morning.
- insomnia
- metabolism
- philtrum
Show the answer
insomnia: A lifelong insomniac, he wrote most of his novels between two and five in the morning.