as in drug
a substance used to induce or speed up the process of defecation
In the past, purgatives were sometimes administered in cases of accidental poisoning.
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Recent Examples of purgative
Sales of purgatives, tonics, syrups and patent medicines like Carter’s Little Liver Pills went through the roof as ordinary people were encouraged to closely monitor the frequency and quality of their bowel movements.
—
Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Or merely the tall-tale purgative of a frantic Purgatorian?
—Tom Nolan, WSJ, 11 June 2021
Blackshirts forced their opponents to drink castor oil and other purgatives, and then sent them home, wrenching with pain and covered in their own feces.
—Michael Ebner, Slate Magazine, 30 Jan. 2017
The persistent and sickening violence of Detroit could work as a powerful purgative, a corrective medicine for deprogramming those who doubt the reality of police brutality.
—Josephine Livingstone, New Republic, 8 Aug. 2017
Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Or merely the tall-tale purgative of a frantic Purgatorian?
—Tom Nolan, WSJ, 11 June 2021
Blackshirts forced their opponents to drink castor oil and other purgatives, and then sent them home, wrenching with pain and covered in their own feces.
—Michael Ebner, Slate Magazine, 30 Jan. 2017
The persistent and sickening violence of Detroit could work as a powerful purgative, a corrective medicine for deprogramming those who doubt the reality of police brutality.
—Josephine Livingstone, New Republic, 8 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgative
Noun
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Canada rebukes this, saying only tiny amounts of the drug are smuggled into the United States over their common border.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 2025
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The next part is the health aspect, making drugs that are clean and in knowable, understandable doses.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Refund and remedy processes typically require proof of disposal.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 July 2025
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The idea here is that if a party or their counsel have done something egregious wrong in litigation, the proper remedy is for the court to issue sanctions and fines ― not that the aggrieved party initiate even more litigation about those wrongs.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purgative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgative. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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