: a sedative agent or drug
Synonyms
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
Claudia Kalb, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2021
Her attorney also listed buspirone (an antianxiety drug), hydroxyzine (an antihistamine that is traditionally used for anxiety or insomina), and Ambien (a sedative-hypnotic).
—Jessica Bartlett, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2023
Kratom alkaloids stimulate the opioid receptors in the brain, producing effects that range from sedative-like and calming to energizing and euphoric.
—Dallas News, 30 Jan. 2023
The first antipsychotic was designed as a sedative, and so on.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2017
An antagonist that reverses the sedative effects of xylazine, called atipamezole, is used in veterinary medicine.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2023
Two police officers, two paramedics and a former police officer pleaded not guilty Friday in the killing of Elijah McClain, 23, a Black man who died after he was placed in a chokehold and given a powerful sedative while in handcuffs.
—Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 20 Jan. 2023
Risk factors that would trigger the requirement include taking a high daily dose of an opioid (at least 90 morphine milligram equivalents, or MME); taking certain other drugs, like sedative hypnotics; or having a history of substance use disorder.
—Michelle Andrews, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2023
Oklahoma uses a three-drug lethal injection method starting with the sedative midazolam, rendering the person unconscious, followed by a paralytic vecuronium bromide and finally potassium chloride, which stops the heart.
—Steve Smith, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2023
Landon Mion, Fox News, 10 Apr. 2024
He was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. local time at the state prison in Bonne Terre after a single-dose injection of the sedative pentobarbital, said Missouri Department of Corrections spokesperson Karen Pojmann.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
He was allowed a sedative ahead of being brought into the execution chamber, Tewalt said.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024
He is scheduled to be executed using the sedative pentobarbital at 7 p.m. local time, according to the state's Office of the Attorney General.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
Authorities say 59-year-old Willie James Pye was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m. Wednesday evening following an injection of the sedative pentobarbital.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
The three-drug combination involves, firstly, an anesthetic or sedative, then a drug to paralyze the prisoner and, lastly, a drug to stop the heart, the DPIC said.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024
There is probably also a higher risk with the use of propofol, since the sedative blocks the body’s reflexes for protecting the airway, the authors said.
—Elaine Chen, STAT, 28 Mar. 2024
In an afternoon update, police said crews had been trying to administer a sedative to the distressed animal, but were unable to reach it due to dangerous water conditions.
—Sarah Dewberry, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Roget had spent the previous four years since his graduation taking additional courses and working odd jobs, even volunteering in the spring of 1799 as a test subject at the Pneumatic Institution in Clifton, England, for a trial of the sedative nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas.
—Claudia Kalb, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2021
Her attorney also listed buspirone (an antianxiety drug), hydroxyzine (an antihistamine that is traditionally used for anxiety or insomina), and Ambien (a sedative-hypnotic).
—Jessica Bartlett, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2023
Kratom alkaloids stimulate the opioid receptors in the brain, producing effects that range from sedative-like and calming to energizing and euphoric.
—Dallas News, 30 Jan. 2023
The first antipsychotic was designed as a sedative, and so on.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2017
An antagonist that reverses the sedative effects of xylazine, called atipamezole, is used in veterinary medicine.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2023
Two police officers, two paramedics and a former police officer pleaded not guilty Friday in the killing of Elijah McClain, 23, a Black man who died after he was placed in a chokehold and given a powerful sedative while in handcuffs.
—Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 20 Jan. 2023
Risk factors that would trigger the requirement include taking a high daily dose of an opioid (at least 90 morphine milligram equivalents, or MME); taking certain other drugs, like sedative hypnotics; or having a history of substance use disorder.
—Michelle Andrews, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2023
Oklahoma uses a three-drug lethal injection method starting with the sedative midazolam, rendering the person unconscious, followed by a paralytic vecuronium bromide and finally potassium chloride, which stops the heart.
—Steve Smith, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2023
Noun
Detectives determined that Johnson gave the victim a sedative during the incident, police stated in a news release.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 10 Apr. 2024
He was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. local time at the state prison in Bonne Terre after a single-dose injection of the sedative pentobarbital, said Missouri Department of Corrections spokesperson Karen Pojmann.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
He was allowed a sedative ahead of being brought into the execution chamber, Tewalt said.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024
He is scheduled to be executed using the sedative pentobarbital at 7 p.m. local time, according to the state's Office of the Attorney General.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
Authorities say 59-year-old Willie James Pye was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m. Wednesday evening following an injection of the sedative pentobarbital.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
The three-drug combination involves, firstly, an anesthetic or sedative, then a drug to paralyze the prisoner and, lastly, a drug to stop the heart, the DPIC said.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024
There is probably also a higher risk with the use of propofol, since the sedative blocks the body’s reflexes for protecting the airway, the authors said.
—Elaine Chen, STAT, 28 Mar. 2024
In an afternoon update, police said crews had been trying to administer a sedative to the distressed animal, but were unable to reach it due to dangerous water conditions.
—Sarah Dewberry, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sedative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sedative
Cite this Entry
“Sedative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedative. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sedative
1 of 2 adjective
sed·a·tive
ˈsed-ət-iv 
: tending to calm or to ease tension
sedative
2 of 2 noun
: a sedative medicine
Medical Definition
sedative
1 of 2 adjective
sed·a·tive
ˈsed-ət-iv
: tending to calm, moderate, or tranquilize nervousness or excitement
sedative effects of anesthetics and analgesics—Linda C. Haynes et al.
Linda C. Haynes et al.sedative
2 of 2 noun
: a sedative agent or drug
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