DEPRESSANT Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

depressant

adjective

Definition of depressant

as in sedative

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of depressant Clancy’s psychiatrist already took the stand to discuss the defendant’s anxiety in September, which turned into insomnia in October, after she was prescribed the anti-depressant Zoloft. — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2026 At the time of the 1998 murder-suicide, Brynn had cocaine, alcohol and a prescription anti-depressant in her system, The New York Times reported. — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026 The drink is known for its mild euphoria and depressant effects. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for depressant

Adjective

As the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began flowing, Ramey took a deep breath, sputtered and began snoring.

— MICHAEL GRACZYK, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
Her pencil produced a soft scrubbing sound, filling the room with a sedative rhythm.

— Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of sedative

Adjective

People with thyroid disease, kidney, liver or heart problems, or those taking NSAIDs, opiate pain medications or certain antidepressants can actually take in too much water.

— Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Because poppy seeds come from the same plant species used to produce opiates, consuming large amounts can sometimes lead to detectable levels of opiate compounds in urine tests.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 19 July 2026

Definition of opiate

Adjective

Night’s narcotic thinking led me to conclude that some katabatic shift of winds had buried the valley in the wildfire smoke that yellows so many summers these days.

— J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
In August, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a temporary-scheduling-order, designating cychlorphine as a Schedule 1 narcotic, joining drugs like LSD and ecstasy.

— Kevin Ko, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of narcotic

Adjective

Jalet is known for his hypnotic choreographic style, and has gain recognition in the music world for his work with Thom Yorke on his short film Anima.

— Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Peaks and valleys ranging from a light sandy color to a deep blueish-gray create an almost hypnotic landscape.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of hypnotic

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“Depressant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depressant. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of depressant

adjective

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