NARCOTIC Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

narcotic 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of narcotic

as in relaxing

tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress some therapists believe that certain scents can have a narcotic effect on people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hypnotic

tending to cause sleep the lecturer droned on in a narcotic monotone that eventually had the entire class struggling to stay awake

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

narcotic

2 of 2

something that soothes, calms, or induces passivity or a sense of security an irradicable sense of self-righteousness seems to be the narcotic that inures these religious fanatics from any realization of the harm they have done

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 narcotic

Adjective

Although the trial may have gone in Scott's favor, Gill was highly critical of the Middletown narcotic detective's actions and questioned his motivation. — Juliet Pennington, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026 Billy [William Friedkin, the director] out on narcotic raids. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026

Noun

Federal officials noted that Muniz’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for narcotics offenses. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026 The Harris County District Attorney’s Office said lab results of the substance inside Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s white Ford van tested negative for narcotics or illicit drugs. — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for narcotic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for narcotic

Adjective

Last month, the sisters were spotted enjoying a relaxing day out on a yacht in Italy to mark Antonia’s 55th birthday.

— Meg Walters, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026
Louise Watley Library will host a break from the heat in the form of a relaxing coloring program geared toward all ages several times throughout the month.

— Elizabeth Green, AJC.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of relaxing

Adjective

Jim James has released a new single from his first solo LP in eight years, Wowed Out, sharing its hypnotic title track alongside a new music video.

— Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026
Indeed, by then, the hypnotic spell had been cast across all of Europe, including on those liberated from the drab tyrannies of actually existing socialism.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

Definition of hypnotic

Noun

Investigators said Summers was using his phone extensively before the crash, driving 73-75 mph, and tested positive for cocaine and opiates.

— Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026
Kratom helped Getz get work, build a life, and ultimately get off of opiates.

— David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026

Definition of opiate

Adjective

Meanwhile, the in-cabin activities were equally soothing, with meditative coloring books, cards, board games, a yoga mat, and on-the-nose books about getting lost in nature’s beauty.

— Madeline Bilis, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026
Getting organized is emotionally soothing as the moon and Mercury harmonize.

— USA TODAY, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of soothing

Noun

Other monkeys, including some of the larger and more dominant macaques, had to be subdued with tranquilizer darts before they could be captured.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
The worrisome drug withdrawal popping up in jails A powerful tranquilizer has started to accompany fentanyl in the country’s illicit opioid supply, and jails are struggling to handle the drug’s excruciating, complicated withdrawal symptoms.

— O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 26 June 2026

Definition of tranquilizer

Adjective

While on vacation, eating a comforting hotel breakfast helps start your day off right.

— Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 3 Aug. 2026
Most of the album proceeds at a lazy ramble, a blend of the comforting countrypolitian and the folky wanderlust of the progressive country of the late ’60s.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of comforting

Noun

The doctor allegedly administered an anesthetic and a muscle relaxer to the patients without their knowledge or consent.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Hospitals across the island face shortages of supplies including syringes, gauze, vaccines and anesthetics.

— Andrea Rodríguez, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of anesthetic

Adjective

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
The firm’s employees took Quaaludes, a sedative medication, like candy, hired prostitutes regularly, and held gambling sprees in Monte Carlo and Las Vegas.

— Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Definition of sedative

Browse Nearby Words

narcosis

narcotic

narcotics

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Narcotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narcotic. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of narcotic

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on narcotic

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

invidious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes