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dras·tic

drastic

 
 
pronunciation:
drae stihk
features:
Word Combinations (adjective), Word History
part of speech: adjective
definition 1: severe or extreme; radical.
The urgency of the situation called for drastic measures to prevent injury and loss of life.The decision to quit medical school was a drastic one, but he never regretted it.
synonyms:
extreme, fanatical, rabid, radical, ultra
antonyms:
moderate
similar words:
excessive, harsh, immoderate, inordinate, intemperate, severe, violent
definition 2: acting with great speed, force, or impact; violent.
A drastic emetic was used to induce vomiting.
synonyms:
fierce, mighty, powerful, strong, violent
similar words:
forceful, harsh, intense, potent, puissant, rabid, severe
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
derivation: drastically (adv.)
Word History
Drastic comes from an ancient Greek word that means "effective," or "thing to be done." In the 1600s, a strong medicine with that acted with force on the body was called a "drastic." "Drastic" was first used to mean "extreme" or "severe" in the early 1800s.