Standard Lemma guide

depressant

adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /dɪˈpɹɛsənt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛsənt
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 P R EH1 S AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Reducing functional or nervous activity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A pharmacological substance which decreases neuronal or physiological activity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

Examples

  • Alcohol acts first as a stimulant and then as a depressant.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An agent that inhibits the flotation of a mineral or minerals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: business, mining

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: stimulative

5

noun

Meaning 5

a drug that reduces excitability and calms a person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sedative, sedative drug, downer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: drug of abuse, street drug, medicine, medication, medicament, medicinal drug

Narrower terms: chloral hydrate, glutethimide, Doriden, sedative-hypnotic, sedative-hypnotic drug

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English depress Proto-Indo-European *-onts Latin -ns Latin -āns Old French -antbor. Proto-Indo-European *-onts Proto-Germanic *-ndz Proto-West Germanic *-andī Old English -ende Middle English -ant English -ant English depressant From depress + -ant.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 镇静剂 (zhènjìngjì) — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Finnish: depressantti — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Finnish: lamaute — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Hindi: अवनमक (avanmak) — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Hindi: अवसादक (avsādak) — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Indonesian: penenang — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Indonesian: depresan — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Irish: dúlagrán — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Korean: 억제제 (eokjeje) — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Malay: ڤننڠ (penenang) — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Malay: depresen — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Māori: pūroi haupēhi — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Persian: سرکوبکننده (sarkub-konande) — substance which decreases physiological activity
  • Welsh: iselydd — substance which decreases physiological activity