truth serum

Often truth drug

[trooth seer-uhm]

noun

1. a drug, as the barbiturate thiopental, that induces in the subject a desire to talk or a state of heightened suggestibility, used in psychotherapy and in interrogation to discover repressed or consciously withheld information.

Word History and Origins

Origin of truth serum¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Describing President Trump as a "truth serum", Orban emphasised his vision of a new Europe, in what he calls "the Age of Patriots", based on the nation, the traditional family, and his version of Christianity.

From BBC

The playfulness kicks in when George and Kathryn invite the other suspects over for a dinner spiced with garlic and truth serum.

From Los Angeles Times

“I often said Covid was the truth serum,” she said of the pandemic.

From New York Times

Remarkables call it truth serum, ’cause it’s one of the few things that breaks through illusions.

From Literature

“Oral argument is like truth serum. Under the stress of their questioning, you can’t become someone you aren’t,” she said in an email.

From Seattle Times