1
as in relaxing
tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress
some therapists believe that certain scents can have a narcotic effect on people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in opiate
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of narcotic
Benjamin Adams, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
There’s a narcotic detective, Roman (Regina King), who’s aggressively sniffing around after Hank catches a serious beating.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
City News Service, Oc Register, 23 Sep. 2025
In early August, the president deployed hundreds of National Guard soldiers to the District in addition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, narcotics officers and FBI officials to sweep the nation’s capital.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for narcotic
Adjective
But until Ghana’s framework is finalized and the real licenses are issued, the possession, use, cultivation, sale, and trafficking of cannabis and other narcotic drugs remain prohibited by law, except where expressly permitted.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
There’s a narcotic detective, Roman (Regina King), who’s aggressively sniffing around after Hank catches a serious beating.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
Attorneys for the team argued Monday before Orange County Superior Court Judge Shaina Colover that the Major League Baseball franchise had new evidence indicating the pitcher received narcotics from other sources and that disputed Skaggs’ cause of death during a road trip to Texas in 2019.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 23 Sep. 2025
In early August, the president deployed hundreds of National Guard soldiers to the District in addition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, narcotics officers and FBI officials to sweep the nation’s capital.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for narcotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narcotic
Adjective
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Incorporate rewards that motivate you, such as a relaxing bath, healthy snack, or movie night.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois,
Health,
2 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, Sami, a city boy ashamed of his roots, arrives for a relaxing weekend on his family farm.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Stephen depicts the women’s schooltime bond in hypnotic flashbacks, and their separation largely through absence itself, with gliding, pensive shots of places—rooms, buildings, streets—where the women have been and may be again but which, onscreen, are vacant.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
2 Oct. 2025
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The first video work in the series, Ready Mix, 2021, follows the strangely hypnotic rumble of cement production at an Idaho mixing plant, from sand to finished block.—
Anne Reeve,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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These chemicals can be even more potent than other opiates and produce comparable hallucinogenic effects, increasing the desirability of the cut fentanyl on the market.—
David Ferrara,
The Enquirer,
4 Sep. 2025
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Boston Magazine reported that during her training she was ultimately dismissed for administering opiates without a doctor’s order and leaving her shift early.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Spike takes one of Kelson's tranquilizer darts filled with morphine and stabs Samson in the arm with it.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
23 Sep. 2025
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Jacintha, a horseback rider, was familiar with ketamine as a horse tranquilizer but had never heard of it as a last-stop mental health treatment for treatment-resistant patients like Lucy, who was diagnosed with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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SonoBello in Beverly Hills helps clients downsize in just one visit with just a local anesthetic, employing a technique called TriSculpt.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
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Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, which can have some hallucinogenic effects at low doses, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.—
Soph Warnes,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
26 Sep. 2025
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Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The smoke was billowing, but that ray of sunshine that came through was just very comforting.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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The hearty blend of tomatoes, chicken, turkey, and rice is seriously comforting.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Even small amounts of alcohol can amplify Benadryl’s sedative effects and interfere with daily functioning.—
Alex Yampolsky,
Verywell Health,
29 Sep. 2025
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Kratom has both stimulant and sedative effects, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Narcotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narcotic. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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