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.

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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

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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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unsedative
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sedatives
  plural

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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

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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

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

Ms Hemme was interrogated by police several times under the influence of antipsychotic medication and a powerful sedative after being involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2024

She needed a blanket, a compress, a sedative tablet.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

"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

Existing treatments are decades-old stimulants and sedatives that target one symptom at a time, but Orzeyful and its competitor drugs are designed to treat the disease as a whole.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 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

Monitored by a police drone, an exhausted Buddy finally laid down to rest as a vet administered some sedatives in the early hours of Sunday.

From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2025

But he was resting under sedatives in Amarillo curing his prostatitis.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

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Related Words

• medication
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