hypnosis

H4Y4P3N1O1S1I1S1
US/hɪpˈnəʊ.sɪs/US/hɪpˈnoʊ.sɪs/

noun

A trancelike state, artificially induced, in which a person has a heightened suggestibility, and in which suppressed memories may be experienced.

“self-hypnosis”

OriginAncient Greek ὕπνωσις (húpnōsis) ← Proto-Hellenic *húpnos ← Proto-Indo-European *supnós →
Less commonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounhypnosis (countable and uncountable, plural hypnoses)

plural hypnoses

  1. uncountableA trancelike state, artificially induced, in which a person has a heightened suggestibility, and in which suppressed memories may be experienced.

    self-hypnosis

    4 more examples

    clinical hypnosis

    under hypnosis

    She entered a state of deep hypnosis.

    The therapy used hypnosis to treat anxiety.

  2. uncountableThe practice of inducing hypnosis; hypnotism.
  3. countableAny of various sleep-like conditions.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
mesmerism

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*swep-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*supnós
  3. Proto-Hellenic*húpnos
  4. Ancient Greekὕπνος (húpnos)
  5. Ancient Greekὑπνόω (hupnóō)
  6. Ancient Greekὕπνωσις (húpnōsis)
  7. Englishhypnosis

From modern scholarly Ancient Greek ὕπνωσις (húpnōsis), which formation closes the derivational gap between the ancient words ὑπνόω (hupnóō, “I put to sleep”) and ὑπνωτικός (hupnōtikós, “sleep-inducing, soporific”). Ultimately traces back to ὕπνος (húpnos, “sleep”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَنْوِيم مَغْنَاطِيسِيّ
  • تَنْوِيم مَغْنَاطِيسِيّ (tanwīm maḡnāṭīsiyy)trancelike state
Bulgarian хипноза
  • хипноза (hipnoza)trancelike state
Catalan hipnosi
  • hipnositrancelike state
Chinese Mandarin 催眠
  • 催眠 (cuīmián)trancelike state
Czech hypnóza
  • hypnózatrancelike state
Danish hypnose
  • hypnosetrancelike state
Dutch hypnose
  • hypnosetrancelike state
Esperanto hipnoto
  • hipnototrancelike state
Finnish hypnoosi
  • hypnoositrancelike state
French hypnose
  • hypnosetrancelike state
German Hypnose
  • Hypnosetrancelike state
Hebrew היפנוזה
  • היפנוזה (hipnóza)trancelike state
Hindi सम्मोहन
  • सम्मोहन (sammohan)trancelike state
Hungarian hipnózis
  • hipnózistrancelike state
Irish hiopnóis
  • hiopnóistrancelike state
Italian ipnosi
  • ipnositrancelike state
Japanese 催眠
  • 催眠 (saimin)trancelike state
Korean 최면
  • 최면 (choemyeon)trancelike state
Latvian hipnoze
  • hipnozetrancelike state
Lithuanian hipnozė
  • hipnozėtrancelike state
Norwegian Bokmål hypnose
  • hypnosetrancelike state
Polish hipnoza
  • hipnozatrancelike state
Portuguese hipnose
  • hipnosetrancelike state
Russian гипно́з
  • гипно́з (gipnóz)trancelike state
Spanish hipnosis
  • hipnosistrancelike state
Swedish hypnos
  • hypnostrancelike state

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with hypnosis

diagnosistuberculosisosteoporosissclerosisapoptosisprognosisthrombosisstenosispsychosisosmosismitosisacidosissymbiosismeiosisneurosisphagocytosisendocytosisgnosisamyloidosismononucleosishemochromatosissilicosisexocytosishalitosis
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

hypnosis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypnosis

MLA

“hypnosis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypnosis. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hypnosis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypnosis.

Source: hypnosis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.