Standard Lemma guide

tranquilizer

noun · 4 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈtɹæ̞ŋkwɪläɪ̯zə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈtɹæ̝ŋkwɪlaɪ̯zɚ/ without æ-raising
  • /ˈtɹeɪ̯ŋkwɪlaɪ̯zɚ/ æ-raising
  • /ˈtɹɛ̃ŋkwɪlaɪ̯zɚ/ æ-raising
  • CMU ARPABET: T R AE1 NG K W AH0 L AY2 Z ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

That which tranquillizes or soothes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A drug used to reduce anxiety or tension.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ataractic, tranq, sedative

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A drug used to reduce anxiety or tension.

A gun that fires sedative darts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ataractic, tranq, sedative

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a drug used to reduce stress or tension without reducing mental clarity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tranquillizer, tranquilliser, antianxiety agent, ataractic drug, ataractic agent, ataractic

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: psychotropic agent, sedative-hypnotic, sedative-hypnotic drug

Narrower terms: major tranquilizer, major tranquillizer, major tranquilliser, antipsychotic drug, antipsychotic agent, antipsychotic, neuroleptic drug, neuroleptic agent, neuroleptic, minor tranquilizer, minor tranquillizer, minor tranquilliser, antianxiety drug, anxiolytic, anxiolytic drug

History

Etymology

From tranquilize + -er.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: rauhoittaja — anything that tranquillizes or soothes
  • Greek: ηρεμιστικό (iremistikó) — anything that tranquillizes or soothes
  • Greek: καταπραϋντικό (katapraÿntikó) — anything that tranquillizes or soothes
  • Hungarian: nyugtató — anything that tranquillizes or soothes
  • Portuguese: tranquilizador — anything that tranquillizes or soothes
  • Russian: успокои́тельное (uspokoítelʹnoje) — anything that tranquillizes or soothes
  • Russian: транквилиза́тор (trankvilizátor) — anything that tranquillizes or soothes
  • Serbo-Croatian: транквилизатор — anything that tranquillizes or soothes
  • Serbo-Croatian: trankvilizator — anything that tranquillizes or soothes
  • Bulgarian: лекарство за успокояване (lekarstvo za uspokojavane) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Cebuano: ighuhupay — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Chinese Mandarin: 鎮靜劑 /镇静剂 (zhènjìngjì) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Chinese Mandarin: 鎮靜藥 /镇静药 (zhènjìngyào) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Esperanto: trankviligilo — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Finnish: rauhoittava — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Greek: ηρεμιστικό (iremistikó) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Greek: αγχολυτικό (ancholytikó) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Hebrew: תְּרוּפַת הַרְגָעָה (trufàt hargaá) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Hebrew: כָּדוּר הַרְגָעָה (kadùr hargaá) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Hungarian: nyugtató — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Hungarian: nyugtatószer — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Italian: ansiolitico — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Japanese: 精神安定剤 (seishin anteizai) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Japanese: 鎮静薬 (chinseiyaku) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Malay: penenteram — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Māori: rongoā whakamahuru — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Norman: trantchilisant — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Persian: آرامبخش (ârâm-baxš) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Portuguese: tranquilizante — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Russian: транквилиза́тор (trankvilizátor) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Russian: успокои́тельное (uspokoítelʹnoje) — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Serbo-Croatian: транквилизатор — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Serbo-Croatian: анксиолѝтик — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Serbo-Croatian: trankvilizator — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension
  • Serbo-Croatian: anksiolìtik — drug used to reduce anxiety or tension