somnambulist

/sɔm'næmbjulist/

Thân thiện

A somnambulist walks slowly down a hallway at night.

Definition

Noun: A person who walks or performs other actions while asleep; a sleepwalker.

Usage

The word "somnambulist" is a formal or technical term for a sleepwalker. It is used to describe a person who has a condition (somnambulism) characterized by complex behaviors, such as walking, performed during deep sleep.

Examples

• The famous case involved a somnambulist who was found cooking a meal in his kitchen while fully asleep.
• As a chronic somnambulist, she had to take special precautions, like locking her bedroom door, to ensure her safety at night.
• The doctor explained that the somnambulist typically has no memory of their actions upon waking.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe a person who acts as if in a daze or without conscious awareness, though this is a figurative extension.
  • He moved through the crowded airport like a somnambulist, numb from the bad news.

Variants and Related Words

• Somnambulism (noun): The condition or act of sleepwalking.
  • Somnambulism is more common in children than in adults.
• Somnambulistic (adjective): Of or relating to sleepwalking.
  • She was in a somnambulistic state.

Synonyms

• Sleepwalker
• Noctambulist (a less common synonym)

Idioms and Phrases

• To be a somnambulist: This is not a common idiom but the literal phrase used to state the condition.
  • He was diagnosed as a somnambulist.

Học thuật

Noun

1. someone who walks about in their sleep

Từ đồng nghĩa

• sleepwalker
• noctambulist