sedative

American  

[sed-uh-tiv] / ˈsɛd ə tɪv /

adjective

1. tending to calm or soothe.

2. allaying irritability or excitement; assuaging pain; lowering functional activity.

---

noun

• sedatives
  plural

1. a sedative drug or agent.

sedative British  

/ ˈsɛdətɪv /

adjective

1. having a soothing or calming effect

2. of or relating to sedation

---

noun

1. med a sedative drug or agent

sedative Scientific  

/ sĕd′ə-tĭv /

1. A drug having a calming or quieting effect, often given to reduce anxiety or to promote relaxation.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unsedative
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sedatives
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of sedative

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English (adjective), from Middle French sédatif, from Medieval Latin sēdātīvus; equivalent to sedate + -ive

---

Explanation

A sedative is a drug that calms you down. If a patient is freaking out about getting an MRI or minor surgery, the doctor might prescribe a sedative to chill them out. A sedative is anything that makes you sedate — peaceful, calm, tranquil. In medicine this word refers to drugs that relieve anxiety or tranquilizers that pretty much knock you out. But other non-pharmaceutical things can have sedative effects, like a soothing cup of tea or a relaxing glass of wine. The tryptophan in turkey is actually a natural sedative — that's why everyone is sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sedative sedatives

She remained alive after two doses of the lethal sedative pentobarbital, which may have entered her arm tissue instead of her bloodstream.

From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026

Specifically, the pain-relieving effects were linked to the adenosine A2a receptor -- a receptor that caffeine targets and blocks -- suggesting that terpenes may also have sedative properties.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 20, 2026

Ketamine is widely used in the NHS as an anaesthetic, sedative and pain reliever, and is also commonly used on animals.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

And patients may also be given medications after an episode including a type of antihistamine, but they have sedative effects that can cause more problems, such as falls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

But if they had been alerted to the plan, their anxiety could have counteracted the sedative.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

"Most of these smuggled animals will be in a weak condition... some are given sedatives or even mild anesthetic to keep them from moving or making noise," Thanawadee said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

While many ER visits for dizziness result in expensive CT scans and sedatives, researchers are finding there are more-effective options.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Whoever is given the job of informing him of that had better take a handful of sedatives and a crowbar to pry the president off the wall of the Oval Office.

From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2026

Cough syrups broadly fall into two types - sedatives that help the child rest, and bronchodilators that ease breathing - and doctors usually prescribe one or the other, not a mix.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025

‘We don’t want to interrupt your crazy time. Maybe you can just finish this conversation with yourself and we’ll come back later, with, um, some bigger weapons and possibly some sedatives.’

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• medication
• narcotic
• opiate
• sleeping pill

---