| Library / English Dictionary |
DEPRESSANT
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A drug that reduces excitability and calms a person
Synonyms:
depressant; downer; sedative; sedative drug
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("depressant" is a kind of...):
drug of abuse; street drug (a drug that is taken for nonmedicinal reasons (usually for mind-altering effects); drug abuse can lead to physical and mental damage and (with some substances) dependence and addiction)
medicament; medication; medicinal drug; medicine ((medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "depressant"):
chloral hydrate (a colorless crystalline drug used as a sedative; irritates the stomach and can be addictive)
Doriden; glutethimide (sedative (trade name Doriden) used to treat some sleep disorders)
sedative-hypnotic; sedative-hypnotic drug (a sedative that depresses activity of the central nervous system and reduces anxiety and induces sleep)
Derivation:
depress (lower someone's spirits; make downhearted)
depressant (capable of depressing physiological or psychological activity or response by a chemical agent)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Capable of depressing physiological or psychological activity or response by a chemical agent
Classified under:
Similar:
ataractic; ataraxic; sedative; tranquilising; tranquilizing; tranquillising; tranquillizing (tending to soothe or tranquilize)
narcotic; narcotising; narcotizing (inducing stupor or narcosis)
relaxant (tending to relax or relieve muscular or nervous tension)
hypnagogic; hypnogogic; somniferous; somnific; soporiferous; soporific (sleep inducing)
Antonym:
stimulative (capable of arousing or accelerating physiological or psychological activity or response by a chemical agent)
Derivation:
depress (lower someone's spirits; make downhearted)
depressant (a drug that reduces excitability and calms a person)
Context examples:
Benzodiazepines are a type of CNS depressant.
(Benzodiazepine, NCI Dictionary)
The maleate salt of acepromazine, a phenothiazine derivative with depressant effect on the central nervous system.
(Acepromazine Maleate, NCI Thesaurus)
Alcohol acts as a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, a diuretic, and a disinfectant.
(Alcohol, NCI Thesaurus)
The sodium salt of pentobarbital, a short-acting barbituric acid derivative with central nervous system (CNS) depressant property.
(Pentobarbital Sodium, NCI Thesaurus)
A barbiturate is a type of central nervous system (CNS) depressant.
(Barbiturate, NCI Dictionary)
Depending on the dose delivered, ethanol behaves as an anxiolytic, a depressant, or a general anesthetic.
(Ethanol, NCI Thesaurus)
A class IA anti-arrhythmic agent with cardiac depressant property.
(Disopyramide, NCI Thesaurus)
A class of drugs characterized as central nervous system (CNS) depressants.
(Barbiturate, NCI Thesaurus)
Drugs from this chemical class are used for their central nervous system depressant properties including sedation, facilitation of sleep, seizure control, general anesthesia, anxiolytic, amnestic, and for detoxification from similar (cross tolerant) drugs
(Benzodiazepine, NCI Thesaurus)
Controlled substances include opioids, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and anabolic steroids.
(Controlled substance, NCI Dictionary)
