anxiolytic

American

[ang-zee-uh-lit-ik] / ˌæŋ zi əˈlɪt ɪk /

adjective

anxiety relieving.

noun

antianxiety drug.

anxiolytic British

/ ˌæŋksɪəʊˈlɪtɪk /

noun

any of a class of drugs that reduce anxiety

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

of or relating to this class of drugs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

anxiolytic Scientific

/ ăng′zē-ō-lĭt′ĭk /

A drug used to treat acute or chronic anxiety.

Etymology

Origin of anxiolytic

First recorded in 1960–65; anxi(ety) + -o- + -lytic

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.

See Examples For:

anxiolytic

Overall, the study reveals the role of the PL-BLA neuronal axis in the regulation of innate anxiety, and its potential function in DOP-mediated anxiolytic effects.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 22, 2024

"Remarkably, the YM022 shows anxiolytic effects with a dose of 3.0 ug/kg, which is 3,000 times lower than the required dosage of current antidepressants," said Professor He.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 16, 2023

But it is an excellent reminder that often, when it comes to compulsive or anxiolytic grooming, there are deep threads of worry, fear, and self-recrimination to treat with care and compassion.

From Slate ● May 12, 2020

Brief, small doses of each hormone seem to have antidepressive and anxiolytic effects in rats and aged mice, for example.

From Slate ● Oct. 10, 2011

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023