antidepressant
Americanadjective
noun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of antidepressant
First recorded in 1960–65; anti- + depressant
Explanation
An antidepressant is a drug used to treat depression. Unfortunately, many antidepressants have unwanted side effects. Depression is a form of extreme sadness, when you're so sad that it impairs your ability to function. Words starting with anti are the opposite or go against other things. Antidepressants, then, are drugs that fight depression. If you’re depressed, a doctor can prescribe an antidepressant such as Prozac or Zoloft. Antidepressants can improve your mood, but they often have side effects such as weight gain or headaches.
Vocabulary lists containing antidepressant
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:
The evidence offers a compelling explanation for why some damaged valves may deteriorate faster, but it does not replace imaging, clinical evaluation, or individualized decisions about antidepressant treatment.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
A new study finds no evidence that antidepressant medications cause autism.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
On the surface level, it sounds nice to tell people that it’s better to try talk therapy and regular exercise than an antidepressant.
From Salon ● May 18, 2026
The median length of antidepressant treatment in the U.S. is five years, another study found, despite limited evidence about the effectiveness of such long-term use.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
They’ve upped his antidepressant, which doesn’t seem to make him any less depressed, but helps him to forget that he is.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
For comparison, the NNT for SSRIs, the most commonly prescribed antidepressants for moderate-to-severe depression, is around 7.
From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026
Loneliness, isolation from family, and depression can be particularly devastating for the elderly, and antidepressants only go so far.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently announced initiatives intended to rein in antidepressants.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
The complicating factor here is that antidepressants are prescribed in the U.S. at rates that are above the ideal, which no one really disputes.
From Salon ● May 18, 2026
On the seventh day, Dr. Janeway released me from Quiet Oaks under strict orders to continue taking my antidepressants.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
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.
