lull to sleep

IPA/lˈʌl tə slˈiːp/
IPA/lˈʌl tə slˈiːp/

lull to sleep — idiom

1. to make someone fall asleep or become very relaxed and drowsy, especially throug

1.慣用語及物B1
釋義

to make someone fall asleep or become very relaxed and drowsy, especially through gentle sounds, movements, or a calm atmosphere

例句

The gentle rocking of the train lulled Ava to sleep before she reached her station.

active: [causal subject] lulled [object] to sleep

Bao's grandfather lulled him to sleep every night with a soft folk song.

同義詞
  • send to sleep

    more direct and less poetic; used especially for sounds or activities that bore someone into sleeping

  • soothe to sleep

    emphasises comfort and calming, often used for babies or people in distress

  • put to sleep

    wider meaning covering both deliberate action (putting a child to bed) and unintentional effect (boredom); avoid for euthanasia contexts in learner examples

反義詞
  • wake up

    direct opposite — to stop sleeping

  • rouse

    more formal; to wake someone from sleep or drowsiness

文法句型

lull + object + to sleep

be lulled to sleep + by + noun phrase

用法筆記

Commonly used in the passive voice (be lulled to sleep by something). The subject is typically a soothing sound, repetitive motion, or calming environment — not a person deliberately putting someone to bed. For the deliberate act of putting a child to bed, use 'put to sleep' or 'tuck in' instead.

常見錯誤

I lulled to sleep after the long walk.
The warm fireplace lulled me to sleep after the long walk.
💡'lull to sleep' must have a causal subject that produces the drowsy effect; it cannot be used intransitively.