as in relaxing
tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress
some people find a glass of wine to be a civilized and sedative addition to an evening meal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tranquilizer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sedative
Chris Spargo, People.com, 5 July 2025
The Iguana ambushes him in the bathroom and injects him with a sedative, then stabs him in the eye with one of Alex’s oyster knives.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 July 2025
Jessica Bartlett, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2023
Kratom alkaloids stimulate the opioid receptors in the brain, producing effects that range from sedative-like and calming to energizing and euphoric.
—Dallas News, 30 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for sedative
Adjective
That is because the three drugs combine to make BAM, a powerful animal sedative that authorities allege Barry was in possession of at the time of his wife's disappearance.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 5 July 2025
The Iguana ambushes him in the bathroom and injects him with a sedative, then stabs him in the eye with one of Alex’s oyster knives.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 July 2025
Noun
Her attorney also listed buspirone (an antianxiety drug), hydroxyzine (an antihistamine that is traditionally used for anxiety or insomina), and Ambien (a sedative-hypnotic).
—Jessica Bartlett, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2023
Kratom alkaloids stimulate the opioid receptors in the brain, producing effects that range from sedative-like and calming to energizing and euphoric.
—Dallas News, 30 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for sedative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sedative
Noun
-
The medical staff gave her Xanax, a tranquilizer, and the painkiller oxycodone in pill form, according to medical records Sono Bello turned over to Schaeffer’s attorney.—
Fred Schulte,
Miami Herald,
29 July 2025
-
According to the municipal code, tranquilizers can be used as a means of capture.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee,
Kansas City Star,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
So the design team, led by Kristin Byrd of Gensler, zeroed in on making the public spaces look and feel more intimate and more soothing on a site that's traditionally soaking up the summer sun and its heat.—
Sydney Franklin,
The Enquirer,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Warm and soothing neutral tones permeate the interiors, permitting the products to project.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Hospitals were able to replenish their supplies of antibiotics, sterile gauze, analgesics, and surgical equipment.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
19 July 2025
-
This is a novel analgesic mechanism with no known risk of central nervous system side effects.—
Jahan Marcu,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sedative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sedative. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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