sedative

adjective

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sed·a·tive | \ ˈse-də-tiv

Definition of sedative

(Entry 1 of 2)

: tending to calm, moderate, or tranquilize nervousness or excitement

sedative

noun

Definition of sedative (Entry 2 of 2)

: a sedative agent or drug

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Examples of sedative in a Sentence

Adjective some people find a glass of wine to be a civilized and sedative addition to an evening meal Noun The patient was given a powerful sedative.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Aurora Fire Department personnel later injected him with the sedative ketamine. — Erin Donaghue, CBS News, "Independent report details how police and EMS mishandled Elijah McClain's fatal arrest," 23 Feb. 2021 Cogan said the study results do not suggest that opioids and sedative-hypnotic drugs should be avoided. — Laura Garcia, ExpressNews.com, "Study: After breast cancer surgery, women at higher risk of drug addiction," 10 Dec. 2020 Whether on their side or upside down, airlifting a rhino requires two helicopters: a small one to dart the rhino with a sedative, and a larger one to carry the animal. — Rebecca Cairns, CNN, "Why airlifting rhinos upside down is critical to conservation," 17 Mar. 2021 Aurora Fire Department personnel later injected him with the sedative ketamine. — Erin Donaghue, CBS News, "Independent report details how police and EMS mishandled Elijah McClain's fatal arrest," 23 Feb. 2021 Caffeine interferes with the action of a chemical known as adenosine, which has sedative properties and builds up in the brain to signal sleep. — Lisa Drayer, CNN, "8 eating habits that can interfere with sleep," 17 Mar. 2021 Aurora Fire Department personnel later injected him with the sedative ketamine. — Erin Donaghue, CBS News, "Independent report details how police and EMS mishandled Elijah McClain's fatal arrest," 23 Feb. 2021 Harris covers dark subjects, including Nichols’ depression, cocaine and crack use, and an addiction to the sedative Halcion that led to a severe nervous breakdown. — Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, "‘The Graduate’ director Mike Nichols felt he had something to prove," 1 Mar. 2021 McClain had not moved or made a noise in over a minute when paramedics injected him with the powerful sedative ketamine, the report states. — Washington Post, "Police had no legal reason to place Elijah McClain in chokehold before his death, probe finds," 24 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun For pets that experience severe anxiety, owners may want to consult their veterinarian about prescribing a mild sedative to ease stress. — Louisville Courier Journal, The Courier-Journal, "How to keep your pets safe during Thunder Over Louisville 2021," 14 Apr. 2021 Police also put McClain in a neckhold that stops the flood of blood to the brain, rendering him temporarily unconscious, and paramedics injected him with ketamine as a sedative. — Patty Nieberg And Colleen Slevin, USA TODAY, "Investigation faults overall police treatment in the fatal arrest of Elijah McClain," 23 Feb. 2021 Chloral—a potent sedative that Carl gives her to help her sleep—joins the list. — Deborah Eisenberg, The New York Review of Books, "Awful But Joyful," 9 Mar. 2021 Police also put McClain in a neckhold that stops the flood of blood to the brain, rendering him temporarily unconscious, and paramedics injected him with 500 milligrams of ketamine as a sedative. — Colleen Slevin, BostonGlobe.com, "City probe faults overall police treatment of Elijah McClain," 22 Feb. 2021 The evidence reviewed by the panel, including the body camera video, alleged that the paramedics administered the sedative without first examining McClain. — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, "Independent investigators in Elijah McClain's death issue scathing report," 22 Feb. 2021 This year, perhaps, think of the ball as a large sedative being swallowed by the body politic. — New York Times, "This New Year’s Eve, Times Square Will Be Filled With Hope. But Not People.," 30 Dec. 2020 On the show, the green pills are called Xanzolam, likely a fictional version of Librium, a benzodiazepine sedative similar to Xanax that was commonly prescribed in the ’60s. — Lilly Dancyger, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Queen’s Gambit and the Dangerous Myth of Drug-Induced Genius," 16 Nov. 2020 Rosing called a doctor who told her to give the patient a sedative. — jsonline.com, "Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel.," 10 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sedative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.