drastic
Americanadjective
-
extremely severe or extensive.
a drastic tax-reduction measure.
-
(of medicines) acting with force or violence.
a drastic laxative.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of drastic
First recorded in 1685–95; from Greek drastikós “active,” equivalent to drast(ós) (verbal adjective of drân “to do”) + -ikos adjective suffix ( see -ic)
Explanation
Something that is drastic is violent, forceful, and extreme. If you are saving for a car and you only have $50, you need to make a drastic change to your money accumulation scheme. The word drastic comes from the Greek word for effective, but we use it to mean incredibly effective. If you want a drastic makeover, get rid of all your clothes, change your hair completely, and pick up a new way of speaking. Sometimes drastic action goes too far and so has bad consequences. A bankrupt company might make a drastic decision to fire the management without figuring out how to manage itself in the future.
Vocabulary lists containing drastic
"Sorry, Wrong Number," Vocabulary from the play
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Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
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Catching Fire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Def Leppard's new album, Drastic Symphonies, is released on 19 May, the same date they play a special hometown gig at iconic Sheffield venue the Leadmill.
From BBC • May 11, 2023
Drastic changes require preparation time for both the recipients and the delivery/payor systems that serve them.
From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2023
Drastic infield shifts have become so common across the majors over the last decade that it’s been more noteworthy when an infield doesn’t shift.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2022
Drastic changes are happening now because of the combination of high fuel and newsprint prices, and a tight labor market that’s made it difficult to find and retain carriers.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 30, 2022
His parents gave him a fifty-dollar gift certificate to Drastic Plastic, the punk rock record store downtown.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
