tranquilize
Americanverb (used with or without object)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tranquilize
Explanation
If your cat Fluffy seems dazed after a visit to the vet, it’s probably because the vet had to tranquilize her. In other words, Fluffy was given a drug to calm her down or make her sleep. When doctors tranquilize a patient, it's usually to calm or relax the person before a medical procedure or after some trauma. It's more common to hear the verb tranquilize in the context of animal medicine or encounters with wild animals. For example, if a bear wanders into a suburban neighborhood, officials might use a dart gun to tranquilize it; they can then safely capture and relocate the bear. The root word, tranquil, comes from the Latin tranquillus, meaning "quiet."
Vocabulary lists containing tranquilize
The Battle of the Labyrinth
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 9–October 15, 2021
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Endangered
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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.
They were joined by San Francisco police and staff from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the San Francisco Zoo, who helped to tranquilize the animal, officials said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026
This let police, along with a veterinarian from the National Zoo and animal welfare activists from the Humane Rescue Alliance, tranquilize the bear at 10:15 a.m.
From Washington Times • Jun. 9, 2023
The sheep, out of its element and skittish from the crashing waves, ruined the first day of the session, so a veterinarian was called in to tranquilize the animal for day two.
From New York Times • Jun. 1, 2023
Gresham Mandy, who leads the community police group, said the first priority was to tranquilize the animal with a dart and bring it back safely.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 16, 2023
All she had done today was tranquilize a few dogs.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
