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 Other studies have shown that methylphenidate, a stimulant often called by the brand name Ritalin and commonly used to treat ADHD, may not work as well for those with SCT. — Rebecca Sohn, STAT, "On a limb: Despite resistance, a group of researchers is investigating the possibility of a new mental health disorder," 14 Apr. 2021 Following the 2008 Great Recession, antipathy against Wall Street, corporations, and the nation’s elite generally began to serve as the biggest stimulant driving politics for the next decade. — BostonGlobe.com, "The era of big populism is over. The era of big corporations running the American political conversation is back," 6 Apr. 2021 In France, ibogaine was sold and prescribed as an antidepressant and stimulant called Lambarene for more than 30 years until the 1960s, when the government outlawed the sale of ibogaine. — Mandy Oaklander, Time, "Inside Ibogaine, One of the Most Promising and Perilous Psychedelics for Addiction," 5 Apr. 2021 The report did not go into details about the stimulant or possible mental illness, but said a warrant for additional blood tests was secured. — Grace Toohey, orlandosentinel.com, "Driver hit motorcyclist, fled, then returned to crash scene and hit good Samaritan, Sanford cops say," 30 Mar. 2021 Beer in general has been regarded as a galactagogue, or stimulant of lactation, for much of history. — Lisa Drayer, CNN, "Is Guinness really 'good for you'?," 17 Mar. 2021 Street-drug users often combine fentanyl with methamphetamine, Zibbell said, believing that the stimulant and the depressant balance each other. — Washington Post, "At the heart of Derek Chauvin’s trial is this question: What killed George Floyd?," 9 Mar. 2021 Outside the Veterans Health Administration, programs like PROP are hard for stimulant users to come by. — Zachary Siegel, The New Republic, "What If We Pay People to Stop Using Drugs?," 25 Feb. 2021 She was injected into a flaccid campaign as a stimulant, an identity politics ploy against the first Black presidential candidate. — Alyson Cole, Fortune, "Breaking the glass slipper: Can Marjorie Taylor Greene succeed as ‘Trump in drag’?," 4 Mar. 2021

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.