DEPRESSANT

Pronunciation (US):

• DEPRESSANT (noun)
  The noun DEPRESSANT has 1 sense:

1. a drug that reduces excitability and calms a person

  Familiarity information: DEPRESSANT used as a noun is very rare.

• DEPRESSANT (adjective)
  The adjective DEPRESSANT has 1 sense:

1. capable of depressing physiological or psychological activity or response by a chemical agent

  Familiarity information: DEPRESSANT used as an adjective is very rare.

• DEPRESSANT (noun)

Meaning:

A drug that reduces excitability and calms a person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

depressant; downer; sedative; sedative drug

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)

• DEPRESSANT (adjective)

Meaning:

Capable of depressing physiological or psychological activity or response by a chemical agent

Similar:

ataractic; ataraxic; sedative; tranquilising; tranquilizing (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)