depressant

adjective

Definition of depressantnext
as in sedative

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Example Sentences

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
  1. sedative
  2. relaxant
  3. opiate
  4. narcotic
  5. hypnotic
  6. soporific
Adjective
  • Otto recommends families seek opinions from pediatricians, speech-language pathologists and ENT doctors before deciding on a frenectomy, following a recent Fort Worth procedure that ended in a 4-year-old girl’s death from a sedative overdose.
    — Star-Telegram staff. Produced with AI assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes his approach is so left-of-center that whole lines feel arrhythmic, but there’s a sedative allure in the way his sweet melodies find stasis in the chaos.
    — Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 31 July 2026
Definition of sedative
Adjective
  • Ashwagandha comes with natural relaxant properties to calm down your mind and recharge your brain.
    — Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2023
Definition of relaxant
Adjective
  • 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
  • Because Demerol is an opiate, doctors would have needed to administer Narcan to reverse its effects, detectives wrote.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
Definition of opiate
Adjective
  • The only comparable case in the last three years involved Los Nogales, a restaurant in Meeker, which allegedly dispensed antibiotics and non-narcotic cough medicines.
    — Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The reform also significantly expanded access to medical cannabis by removing it from the country's list of narcotic drugs, simplifying medical cannabis prescribing.
    — Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of narcotic
Adjective
  • Often unfurling over the course of entire afternoons and evenings, González’s knotty, hypnotic works typically test the expectations (and patience) of viewers, who are left to figure out what’s improvised and what isn’t.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Caillois employs this term throughout his 1960 book Méduse et cie (The Mask of Medusa), which traces this hypnotic phenomenon through human as well as natural history.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of hypnotic
Adjective
  • The calm atmosphere occasionally borders on soporific.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • This time around, the latter stages are at risk of being soporific because Alcaraz is out with injury and Sinner is on a 30-match winning run.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Definition of soporific

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Cite this Entry

“Depressant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depressant. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on depressant

Nglish: Translation of depressant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about depressant

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