tranquilize

verb tran·quil·ize \ ˈtraŋ-kwə-ˌlīz , ˈtran- \

variants: or less commonly tranquillize

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of tranquilize

tranquilized also -lized; tranquilizing also tranquilizing

transitive verb

: to make tranquil or calm : pacify; especially : to relieve of mental tension and anxiety by means of drugs

intransitive verb

1 : to become tranquil : relax 1

2 : to make one tranquil

See tranquilize defined for English-language learners

See tranquilize defined for kids

Examples of tranquilize in a Sentence

They tranquilized the bear with a dart so that it could be safely moved to a different area.
at long last the crying baby was tranquilized by the steady rocking of her cradle

Recent Examples of tranquilize from the Web

The animal was tranquilized and later let loose in the wild; Mr. Lovett simply returned to work.

— jesse mckinley, New York Times, "We Interrupt These Budget Talks for a Reporter’s Arrest and a Coyote," 28 Mar. 2018
The big cat was eventually tranquilized around 9:30 a.m., according to FOX 11.

— travis fedschun, Fox News, "Mountain lion caught after roaming Southern California neighborhood," 26 Mar. 2018
California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff responded and safely tranquilized the animal at around 9:30 a.m. Residents in the neighborhood were asked to stay inside their homes during the incident.

— CBS News, "Police catch large mountain lion lounging in backyard of California home," 26 Mar. 2018
In 2013, Florida Fish and Wildlife officials cited the farm for improperly storing kangaroos after one escaped, then died after being tranquilized and shocked by sheriff's deputies.

— CBS News, "Wildlife protection board packed with trophy hunters, report says," 16 Mar. 2018
The farmer wanted to tranquilize her, the BBC wrote, but the local veterinarian was out of gas ammunition.

— avi selk, Washington Post, "The briefly inspirational and ultimately depressing story of the most heroic cow in Poland," 25 Feb. 2018
So far this year, the city has budgeted $370,000 and has tranquilized, captured and removed the ovaries of 19 does.

— kathleen gray, Detroit Free Press, "Lawmakers versus the bureaucracy: Who should be in charge of natural resources, environment?," 28 Jan. 2018
Often this happens when the animal is tranquilized.

— serena solomon, New York Times, "Saving Koalas, and Other Marsupials, With Milk Almost as Good as Mom’s," 24 Feb. 2018
The researchers took helicopters to find the bears, tranquilized them to put on the collars, and took weight and blood samples.

— kendra pierre-louis, New York Times, "What Cameras on Polar Bears Show Us: It’s Tough Out There," 1 Feb. 2018

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