stimulant

noun

stim·u·lant | \ˈstim-yə-lənt

Definition of stimulant

1 : an agent (such as a drug) that produces a temporary increase of the functional activity or efficiency of an organism or any of its parts

2 : stimulus

3 : an alcoholic beverage —not used technically

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Examples of stimulant in a Sentence

The movie was a stimulant to discussion. the relaxed zoning regulations should serve as a stimulant for development in the area

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the stimulants, DMAA, was used in nasal decongestants in the 1940s but withdrawn from the market several decades later. — Sumathi Reddy, WSJ, "The Illegal Ingredients in Your Dietary Supplements," 22 Oct. 2018 The rise in teenagers using e-cigarettes has alarmed health officials who worry kids will get addicted to nicotine, a stimulant, and be more likely to try cigarettes. — Carla K. Johnson, The Seattle Times, "2 million US teens are vaping marijuana," 17 Sep. 2018 The network reportedly looked into whether or not contestants were given stimulants, diet medications, weight loss supplements or diuretics. — Fox News, "NBC launched internal investigation to see if 'Biggest Loser' contestants were given weight-loss drugs: report," 19 July 2018 By 2014, alternative medicines, including digestive aids, probiotics and energy stimulants, were used by 3.1 of all the children, and by almost 5 percent of teenagers. — Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, "A Third of Children Use Alternative Medicines," 18 June 2018 Ritalin, or methylphenidate, is in a class of medications called central nervous system stimulants, which are often used in children and adults to help control symptoms of ADHD or to treat narcolepsy. — Jacqueline Howard, CNN, "NRA's incoming president ties Ritalin to school shootings, but here's what the science says," 21 May 2018 Caffeine is a stimulant and also activates the brain’s reward system, but to a much lesser degree than addictive drugs. — Washington Post, "Science Says: What makes something truly addictive," 21 June 2018 Oxygen is a natural stimulant that will help wake you up and clear out some of that fogginess. — The Editors Of Gq, GQ, "How to Cure a Hangover: A Drinker’s Guide to Surviving the Morning After," 29 June 2018 Methamphetamine is a stimulant that in high doses can elevate body temperature and cause convulsions and cardiovascular collapse, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. — Molly Sullivan, sacbee, "Meth overdose caused death of man in Sacramento police custody, autopsy finds," 21 June 2018

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