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

—

stimulant

adjective

See stimulant defined for English-language learners

See stimulant defined for kids

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 of stimulant from the Web

Caffeine is a stimulant and can disrupt a child’s normal sleep rhythm.

— kathy r. byrnes, Cincinnati.com, "Providing rest for sleepy children," 28 Aug. 2017
A drug evaluation later found the driver to be under the influence of a stimulant and a narcotic analgesic.

— brian lisik/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Man is punched while trying to stop fight: Brunswick Police Blotter," 24 July 2017
Cocaine and meth are stimulants that speed everything up.

— john wisely, Detroit Free Press, "Drugged driving crashes surging across Michigan," 22 July 2017
How to get a therapeutic use exemption to legally take stimulants for ADHD, which apparently afflicts nearly one in 10 MLB players.

— mark zeigler, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Did baseball's Steroid Era really ever end?," 16 July 2017
These supplements might contain high levels of stimulants that can also mess with men’s health.

— dr. manny alvarez, Fox News, "Herbal Viagra: Just plain dangerous," 13 July 2017
McConnell’s defeatism is both a soporific for the Right and a stimulant for the Left.

— deroy murdock, National Review, "Senate Majority Leader McConnell Should . . . Lead the Senate Majority," 10 July 2017
These three ingredients are also stimulants, and are commonly found in energy drinks.

— amanda macmillan, Health.com, "You Can Now Snort Chocolate, But Doctors Aren't Happy About It," 7 July 2017
Lane says those effects could be magnified if a person inhales those stimulants.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "You can now snort chocolate, but that doesn't mean you should," 4 July 2017

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.

First Known Use of stimulant

circa 1728

stimulant Synonyms

Synonyms

boost, encouragement, goad, impetus, incentive, incitation, incitement, instigation, momentum, motivation, provocation, spur, impulse, stimulus, yeast

Antonyms

counterincentive, disincentive

Related Words

inducement, invitation; antecedent, cause, consideration, grounds, motive, occasion, reason; catalyst, catalyzer, fuel, spark

STIMULANT Defined for English Language Learners

stimulant

noun

Definition of stimulant for English Language Learners

: something (such as a drug) that makes you more active or gives you more energy
: something that causes more activity

STIMULANT Defined for Kids

stimulant

noun stim·u·lant \ ˈsti-myə-lənt \

Definition of stimulant for Students

1 :something (as a drug) that makes the body or one of its parts temporarily more active

a heart stimulant

2 :stimulus 1

stimulant

adjective

Definition of stimulant for Students

:stimulating or tending to stimulate

Medical Dictionary

stimulant

noun stim·u·lant \ ˈstim-yə-lənt \

medical Definition of stimulant

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

2 :stimulus 2

Learn More about stimulant

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stimulant Spanish Central: Translation of stimulant Nglish: Translation of stimulant for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of stimulant for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stimulant

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up stimulant? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

stimulant

Definition of stimulant

stimulant

People Are Reading

Examples of stimulant in a Sentence

Recent Examples of stimulant from the Web

First Known Use of stimulant

stimulant Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

STIMULANT Defined for English Language Learners

stimulant

Definition of stimulant for English Language Learners

STIMULANT Defined for Kids

stimulant

Definition of stimulant for Students

stimulant

Definition of stimulant for Students

Medical Dictionary

stimulant

medical Definition of stimulant

Learn More about stimulant

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

The History of the Word 'Terrorism'

Trending: McCain: Half-Baked, 'Spurious' Nationalism

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Forms of Government Quiz

Words of the Year: 1066