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• Prozac
  Prozac

  a brand of fluoxetine hydrochloride.
• Prozac®
  Prozac®

  This widely used antidepressant drug works by modifying the behavior of neurotransmitters in the brain. It is the first of a series of psychoactive drugs that work in this way.

Prozac

American  

[proh-zak] / ˈproʊ zæk /

Pharmacology, Trademark.

1. a brand of fluoxetine hydrochloride.

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Prozac British  

/ ˈprəʊzæk /

noun

1. fluoxetine; a drug that prolongs the action of serotonin in the brain; used as an antidepressant

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Prozac® Cultural  

1. This widely used antidepressant drug works by modifying the behavior of neurotransmitters in the brain. It is the first of a series of psychoactive drugs that work in this way.

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Discover More

The high degree of effectiveness of Prozac in treating depression has spurred debate over whether such drugs should be used for milder problems, such as shyness, or even used simply to improve an otherwise normal mood.

References to Prozac are sometimes mildly derogatory, indicating a psychological state in which true feelings have been replaced by a drug-induced tranquility.

Etymology

Origin of Prozac

First recorded in 1988

Compare meaning

How does prozac compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Zoloft vs. Prozac

Example Sentences

But it also persuaded the musician, who'd previously written a song about the effects of quitting Prozac, to go back on medication – in this case, the antidepressant Lexapro.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

The drugmaker has long been one of the top pharmaceutical players, bringing Prozac to the masses in the 1990s as well as the insulin Humulin a decade earlier.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 21, 2025

Common SSRIs include Prozac, Lexapro, and Zoloft, and they’re the most widely prescribed form of antidepressant in the U.S.

From Slate • Jul. 25, 2025

During this time, she was processing traumatic experiences from her childhood in therapy, but she felt like these symptoms were being exacerbated by Prozac.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2025

I suggest that what we need is a union, but from the look on his face I might as well have said gumballs or Prozac.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich