antidepressant

1 of 2

adjective

an·​ti·​de·​pres·​sant ˌan-tē-di-ˈpre-sᵊnt How to pronounce antidepressant (audio) ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce antidepressant (audio)
Synonyms of antidepressantnext
: used or tending to relieve or prevent depression
antidepressant drugs

antidepressant

2 of 2

noun

: an antidepressant drug see ssri, tricyclic antidepressant

Examples of antidepressant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Notably, most things known to have antidepressant effects increase brain plasticity—such as exercise, electroconvulsive therapy, selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors prescribed as antidepressants, and psychedelic drugs. — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Some companies are developing compounds designed to produce antidepressant effects without hallucinations or other intense subjective experiences. — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
On cross-examination, the defense highlighted that Birchmore was taking antidepressants before her death. — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Symptoms, sleep habits, and how well antidepressants worked were all self-reported, and the circadian markers came from questionnaires rather than direct measures of the body clock. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for antidepressant

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1961, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of antidepressant was in 1961

Phrases Containing antidepressant

Rhymes for antidepressant

See All Rhymes for antidepressant

Browse Nearby Words

antidemocratic
antidepressant
antidepression
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Antidepressant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antidepressant. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Medical Definition

antidepressant

1 of 2 adjective
an·​ti·​de·​pres·​sant ˌant-i-di-ˈpres-ᵊnt, ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce antidepressant (audio)
variants also antidepressive
-ˈpres-iv How to pronounce antidepressant (audio)
: used or tending to relieve or prevent psychological depression : relating to, being, or utilizing an antidepressant
an antidepressant drug
antidepressant treatment

antidepressant

2 of 2 noun
variants also antidepressive
: a drug used to treat psychological depression : an antidepressant drug
The dual-action antidepressant venlafaxine appears to demonstrate superior efficacy and higher rates of remission in severe depression as compared with either SSRIs such as fluoxetine or tricyclic antidepressants.—John Mann, The New England Journal of Medicine

called also energizer, psychic energizer, psychostimulant

see tricyclic antidepressant

More from Merriam-Webster on antidepressant

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for antidepressant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about antidepressant

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