sedative

adjective

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

However, the board banned him from performing or supervising surgery that requires sedative anesthesia in an office. — Cassie Cope, charlotteobserver, "Charlotte area doctor banned from surgeries with anesthesia after 'substandard' care," 11 June 2018 One of the vets leaned out with a dart gun to deliver a dose of M99, a sedative thousands of times stronger than morphine. — Jason Florio, Smithsonian, "The Dangerous Work of Relocating 5,000-Pound Rhinos," 22 May 2018 Drugs, too, but the sedative effects of most anti-motion pharmaceuticals are incompatible with making your livelihood at sea. — Malia Wollan, New York Times, "How to Overcome Seasickness," 2 Feb. 2018 Indica is generally sedative and can be used as a sleep aid. — Brad Branan, sacbee, "A beginner’s guide to buying recreational marijuana in California | The Sacramento Bee," 26 Dec. 2017 The principal obstacle, of course, is the controversy over midazolam, the sedative component of a drug cocktail that is supposed to put the subject into a state of unconscious painlessness at the time of death. — Jed S. Rakoff, Slate Magazine, "Can the Death Penalty Ever Be Implemented Justly?," 28 Apr. 2017 The drink is made from a ground up root common to the South Pacific, and produces a (very) mild sedative effect. — Dan Sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Fallout from Charlottesville: Trump under fire, Confederate memorials coming down," 15 Aug. 2017 Neglect for Responsibilities Exacerbated by the drug’s sedative effects, an addict will often shirk important responsibilities. — Dr. Manny Alvarez, Fox News, "How to recognize heroin addiction and help with recovery," 5 July 2017 They were taken to a police station after officers found a sedative pill on one friend. — Alexander Roslyakov, The Seattle Times, "Electric shocks: Chechen gay men recount days of torture," 2 May 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Midazolam was substituted in May for expired prison stocks of diazepam, a similar sedative commonly known as Valium. — Ken Ritter, The Seattle Times, "Drug company’s lawsuit could derail Nevada execution," 10 July 2018 There were not, for example, last-minute questions about his competency or Alabama’s reliance on a lethal injection protocol that includes midazolam, a sedative whose use in executions has been bitterly disputed. — Alan Blinder, New York Times, "Alabama Executes Mail Bomber, 83, the Oldest Inmate Put to Death in Modern Era," 19 Apr. 2018 He was given an opioid and a sedative to calm him down enough to allow the removal of the nail, and then eventually the boot. — Todd O’leary, Philly.com, "What happens to your body when you experience pain?," 18 June 2018 Researchers have long known that ketamine, a sedative that produces a trance-like state and is widely used as a party drug, promotes the growth of neurites in the prefrontal cortex. — Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "Psychedelic drugs change brain cells in ways that could help fight depression, addiction and more," 12 June 2018 That’s because of the way Ambien, a sedative, forces the brain into sleep. — Emily Atkin, The New Republic, "The Science of “Ambien Tweeting”," 30 May 2018 Various prescription drugs, including the pain medication Tramadol, the sedative Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax), and Haloperidol, an antipsychotic medication, were also found in some investigations. — Alexis Stevens, ajc, "EXCLUSIVE: Majority of those killed by Georgia officers tested positive for drugs," 9 July 2018 The plan doubles the number of possible injections of the sedative from four for diazepam to 10 for midazolam. — Ken Ritter, The Seattle Times, "Nevada switches drug to be used in 1st execution since 2006," 3 July 2018 Authorities broke down the apartment door and caught Guo with condoms, a ski mask, military tear gas and syringes filled with sedatives, according to prosecutors. — Crimesider Staff, CBS News, "Ex-doctor charged with murder in recent death of woman attacked in 1988," 15 June 2018

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.