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

Alvogen sued Nevada in 2018 for using its sedative midazolam to carry out executions, prompting Nevada to return its unused supply.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 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

He says he lives a "completely sedative life" away from his family and friends.

From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2024

I saw that turbulent emotions possessed her, so I asked what I thought would be some sedative questions about her little girl.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

"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

A medically-induced coma is when sedatives are used to put a patient into a reversible state of deep unresponsiveness, to try and protect the brain from traumatic damage.

From BBC ● May 15, 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

‘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

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Related Words

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