SEDATIVE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sedative mean? 

• SEDATIVE (noun)
  The noun SEDATIVE has 1 sense:

1. a drug that reduces excitability and calms a person

  Familiarity information: SEDATIVE used as a noun is very rare.

• SEDATIVE (adjective)
  The adjective SEDATIVE has 1 sense:

1. tending to soothe or tranquilize

  Familiarity information: SEDATIVE used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SEDATIVE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A drug that reduces excitability and calms a person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

depressant; downer; sedative; sedative drug

Hypernyms ("sedative" is a kind of...):

drug of abuse; street drug (a drug that is taken for nonmedicinal reasons (usually for mind-altering effects); drug abuse can lead to physical and mental damage and (with some substances) dependence and addiction)

medicament; medication; medicinal drug; medicine ((medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sedative"):

chloral hydrate (a colorless crystalline drug used as a sedative; irritates the stomach and can be addictive)

Doriden; glutethimide (sedative (trade name Doriden) used to treat some sleep disorders)

sedative-hypnotic; sedative-hypnotic drug (a sedative that depresses activity of the central nervous system and reduces anxiety and induces sleep)

Derivation:

sedative (tending to soothe or tranquilize)

• SEDATIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Tending to soothe or tranquilize

Synonyms:

ataractic; ataraxic; sedative; tranquilising; tranquilizing; tranquillising; tranquillizing

Context example:

took a hot drink with sedative properties before going to bed

Similar:

depressant (capable of depressing physiological or psychological activity or response by a chemical agent)

Derivation:

sedate (cause to be calm or quiet as by administering a sedative to)

sedative (a drug that reduces excitability and calms a person)

 Context examples 

An ethanolamine class of H1 antihistamines with mild antimuscarinic and sedative properties.

(Carbinoxamine Maleate, NCI Thesaurus)

An opioid analgesic related to MORPHINE but with less potent analgesic properties and mild sedative effects.

(Codeine, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A synthetic ethanolamine with anticholinergic, sedative, and histamine H1 antagonistic properties.

(Clemastine Fumarate, NCI Thesaurus)

Its mechanism of action is not clear yet; perhaps due to its sedative actions.

(Carisoprodol, NCI Thesaurus)

A synthetic alkylamine with non-sedative antihistaminergic activity.

(Acrivastine, NCI Thesaurus)

An ethylenediamine derivative with histamine H1 antagonistic and sedative properties.

(Antazoline, NCI Thesaurus)

I am sure that, with your symptoms, my friend Dr. Watson here would prescribe a sedative.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A drug that is used to treat seizures and as a sedative.

(Phenobarbital, NCI Dictionary)

The use of special drugs called sedatives to relieve extreme suffering by making a patient calm, unaware, or unconscious.

(Palliative sedation, NCI Dictionary)

A benzodiazepine with anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic, and anticonvulsant properties.

(Clorazepate Dipotassium, NCI Thesaurus)