sedative 1 of 2

adjective

ˈse-də-tiv How to pronounce sedative (audio)
Definition of sedativenext
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

sedative

2 of 2

noun

as in tranquilizer

Related 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 sedative
Adjective
Ballroom staff will be equipped with cuff links that release sedative gas, bow ties that contain a garrote, white gloves with Tasers woven into the fingertips, champagne flutes that dribble, and fake vomit. — Dahlia Gallin Ramirez, New Yorker, 9 June 2026 With alcohol, due to its sedative effects. — Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 9 June 2026
Noun
The woman did a Google image search and concluded that the drug was stronger — Ambien, a prescription sedative, reads the complaint. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 9 June 2026 The attorneys also said prosecutors did not prove the sedative is what killed him. — Mead Gruver, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sedative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sedative
  1. relaxing
  2. tranquilizer
  3. soothing
  4. analgesic
  5. comforting
  6. hypnotic
Adjective
  • Optics expert, Jase Parnell-Brookes, gave them four stars in their full Canon 18x50 binoculars review for enabling a relaxing and impressive session of stargazing.
    — Harry Bennett, Space.com, 20 July 2026
  • Skip visually abrasive color palettes that don’t feel calming or relaxing.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 20 July 2026
Definition of relaxing
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
  • Anyone who has watched the Sopranos knows there are few sights more soothing than watching Carmela Soprano lather her hands up to her elbows in lotion.
    — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • If the baby continues crying after the bassinet reaches its highest soothing level, parents receive an alert through the mobile app.
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of soothing
Noun
  • The physician performs a detailed history and physical examination, reviews prior films, discusses conservative management, and orders physical therapy plus non-opioid analgesics.
    — Richard Menger MD MPA, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • But the 7-OH industry has organized against the potential prohibition, claiming 7-OH is kratom, despite only appearing in trace amounts within the leaves of the kratom plant, and that its benefits as an analgesic outweigh its potential harms.
    — Mattha Busby, Wired News, 15 June 2026
Definition of analgesic
Adjective
  • For the industry, that’s probably not the most comforting insight.
    — Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
  • The comforting whistle of air sweeping in and out of my velvet horse nostrils lulls me right to sleep.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
Definition of comforting
Adjective
  • Four Tet’s sense for sound design shines from crushed 8-bit drums to the hypnotic handpan grooves and sharp synth melodies.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 19 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of hypnotic

Browse Nearby Words

sedating
sedative
sedatives
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Cite this Entry

“Sedative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sedative. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sedative

Nglish: Translation of sedative for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sedative

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