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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The models by themselves can sometimes show drastic changes from one update to the next. — Jessica Meszaros, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026 Several Olympic sports have evolved over the years to keep up with an ever-changing landscape, but few have been as drastic as the Modern Pentathlon. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 Well, unless the Big 12 sees an absolute meltdown over the next 45 days, Texas Tech will undoubtedly be looking back at this performance on the road as the culprit for its season taking a drastic turn. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 The offensive — dubbed Operation Vivaldi — was made public several weeks before the drastic turn from the United States. — Anastasiia Parafeniuk, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drastic

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin drāsticus, borrowed from Greek drāstikós "active, energetic, (of medication) acting rapidly," from drāst-, stem of drā́stēs "doer, performer" (from drā-, variant stem of dráō, drân "to do, perform" + -tēs, agentive suffix, with analogical -s-) + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at drama

First Known Use

circa 1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of drastic was circa 1691

Rhymes for drastic

See All Rhymes for drastic

Browse Nearby Words

drash
drastic
drastically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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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
-ti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce drastic (audio)
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
-ti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce drastic (audio)
adverb

drastic

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