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

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about sedative

Keep scrolling for more

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

The muddy-brown drink is made from the crushed roots of the kava plant and produces a mild sedative effect. — Dan Sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Kavasutra Kava Bar serves its libations with a side of sexism and transphobia that has social media enraged," 10 July 2018 And when mixed with other drugs, particularly opioids or alcohol, the sedative effects can be dangerous and even life-threatening. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Lena Dunham Says She's 6 Months Sober After Years of 'Misusing' Her Anti-Anxiety Medication," 30 Oct. 2018 But the flip side of swimming’s sedative virtues is that swimming is boring. — Frank Wilczek, WSJ, "Swimming on Atomic and Cosmic Levels," 9 Aug. 2018 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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Like other states with the death penalty, Tennessee makes lethal injection the default method, using a three-drug cocktail starting with a sedative called midazolam and followed by doses of a paralytic and a heart-stopping toxin. — Jacob Gershman, WSJ, "Tennessee Death-Row Inmates Demand Execution by Firing Squad," 6 Nov. 2018 Results from the 2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey released in 2016 found that one in six Americans takes a psychiatric drug, including sedatives or antidepressants. — Katie Parsons, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Holistic mental-health treatments can help, advocates say," 26 Apr. 2018 Khashoggi was killed on October 2 by an injection that contained a sedative overdose, deputy public prosecutor and spokesperson Shaalan al-Shaalan told reporters on Thursday. — Alex Ward, Vox, "Saudi Arabia seeks the death penalty for 5 suspects over Khashoggi murder," 15 Nov. 2018 The sedative is to keep you still, as this procedure is meant to give the embryos the best possible landing. — Pamela Tsigdinos, Marie Claire, "The Wild World of IVF, Explained," 1 Oct. 2018 The toxicology tests detected amounts of pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and zolpidem (a sedative most commonly used in Ambien). — Nick Powell, Houston Chronicle, "Texas City Commissioner Dee Ann Haney indicted for car crash that killed 2 people," 3 May 2018 All of the aforementioned executions used different drug cocktails, each containing the sedative midazolam. — Abdullah Shihipar, Teen Vogue, "Lethal Injection Drugs and the Death Penalty, Explained," 30 Oct. 2018 Obesity, smoking and use of alcohol or sedatives can contribute to the disorder, according to the National Sleep Foundation. — Mark Lieber, CNN, "Using a CPAP machine can improve sex lives for some, study says," 24 May 2018 Lorazepam is a sedative that is used to treat epilepsy, insomnia and nausea from cancer treatment, according to MedlinePlus. — William Axford, Houston Chronicle, "Suspected meth, heroin dealers in Spring arrested," 11 May 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.