drastic

adjective

dras·​tic ˈdra-stik How to pronounce drastic (audio)
1
: acting rapidly or violently
a drastic purgative
2
: extreme in effect or action : severe
drastic measures
made drastic changes

Examples of drastic in a Sentence

The situation calls for drastic measures. Maybe we should try something less drastic first.
Recent Examples on the Web The Florida city announced detailed plans that include a list of restrictions on beaches – although nothing as drastic as Miami Beach's edicts – such as prohibiting alcohol, coolers, live and/or amplified music, electric scooters and tents on beaches. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 4 Mar. 2024 The search for something more effective than the former and less drastic than the latter has produced a possible third option: injectable gel. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024 Turning off its discoverability, a more drastic measure, will be left as an opt-in setting for higher risk users. Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 20 Feb. 2024 Why The Sudden Co-Mingling Between Domestic Cats And Wildcats? The question arises: why now, after millennia of cohabitation with domestic cats, are Scottish wildcats undergoing such a drastic transformation in their genetic landscape? Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Our schools and basic services are facing drastic budget cuts because career politicians like our current assemblymember talk a big game and then go to Sacramento and go MIA. Hanna Kang, Orange County Register, 9 Feb. 2024 Once one of the richest empires in Europe, Portugal has also been one of the continent’s poorest countries, experiencing a drastic swing of fortunes through its centuries of civilization. Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2024 Programming Languages And Cloud Costs Azul’s State of Java Survey and Report showed that 95% of companies using Java have taken steps to reduce cloud costs in the last year, including the drastic action of repatriating some applications from the public cloud back to on-premise deployments. Scott Sellers, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Figure skater Scott Hamilton's life has been marked by drastic ups and downs, but his positive attitude has always shone through Scott Hamilton's life has been as dramatic as his figure skating routines. Alex Heigl, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drastic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek drastikos, from dran to do

First Known Use

circa 1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of drastic was circa 1691

Dictionary Entries Near drastic

Cite this Entry

“Drastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drastic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

drastic

adjective
dras·​tic ˈdras-tik How to pronounce drastic (audio)
1
: acting rapidly or violently
2
: severe in effect : harsh
had to take drastic measures
drastically adverb

Medical Definition

drastic

1 of 2 adjective
dras·​tic ˈdras-tik How to pronounce drastic (audio)
: acting rapidly or violently
used chiefly of purgatives
drastically adverb

drastic

2 of 2 noun
: a powerful medicinal agent
especially : a strong purgative

More from Merriam-Webster on drastic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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