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

The whistleblowers claim an emergency room nurse stole narcotics intended for patients, injected them in an emergency room bathroom, then treated patients while impaired, which in turn, possibly contributed to two patient deaths. — Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 30 June 2026 In his time with LRPD, Finks was the first Black sergeant in the narcotics division and the first Black captain in the Special Investigations Division. — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for narcotic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for narcotic

Adjective

Kate Hudson enjoyed a relaxing beach day with her kids, 7-year-old Rani and 14-year-old Bingham, in Athens, Greece.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Audiences want a quiet, efficient, relaxing, fun, visually engaging, communal experience unavailable at home.

— Joseph M. Singer, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026

Definition of relaxing

Adjective

The London saxophonist and his ensemble fuse jazz with diverse strains of global trance music—Moroccan gnawa, Berlin kosmische—into a hypnotic, utopian expression of spiritual union.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026
These include a monochord, the vibrations of which induce a deep hypnotic state of relaxation and a good night’s sleep.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026

Definition of hypnotic

Noun

So far this year, alcohol has become EPICC’s leading referral category, followed by methamphetamine and opiates.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
Once drug use crossed class and racial lines, the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act was passed in 1914, a federal law criminalizing the sale and use of opiates.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 May 2026

Definition of opiate

Adjective

That a series finally found some new themes to focus on is as much a soothing break as all the B-roll of ocean waves and clapboard houses.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 9 July 2026
My nearly two-hour Manoa Mist treatment included a full-body sugar exfoliation and soothing-but-therapeutic lomi lomi massage, performed by a therapist who spent years in the medical field and really knew her stuff.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 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

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

The Drug Enforcement Administration says kratom produces stimulant effects in low doses and sedative effects in high doses, and can lead to psychotic symptoms, and psychological and physiological dependence.

— Jake Rosenwasser, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Hair follicle testing confirmed exposure to sedative-hypnotic drugs, but surveillance footage was destroyed after the hotel’s 30-day retention period elapsed before her preservation request could be honored.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 June 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 14 Jul. 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

yaw

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes