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
His attack angle, which measures his bat position at the intercept point with the ball, is 3 degrees, which is a drastic change from his 6-degree average in each of the previous two seasons.
—
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Their report found that some ICE detention centers had seen increases in medical staff in 2025 compared to previous years, while other facilities struggled with drastic understaffing and had routinely failed to provide sufficient care.
—Rob Kuznia, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
That’s comparable to the rate of decline for young people during the 2008 global financial crisis, which also saw a drastic drop in confidence for older Americans.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
And one track prominently features a country singer, a drastic departure from the usual Fire-Toolz mélange of screensaver EDM, Hypercolor death metal, blackened new age, and copious other mutant genres that usually don’t mix.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for drastic
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Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Their report found that some ICE detention centers had seen increases in medical staff in 2025 compared to previous years, while other facilities struggled with drastic understaffing and had routinely failed to provide sufficient care.
—Rob Kuznia, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
That’s comparable to the rate of decline for young people during the 2008 global financial crisis, which also saw a drastic drop in confidence for older Americans.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
And one track prominently features a country singer, a drastic departure from the usual Fire-Toolz mélange of screensaver EDM, Hypercolor death metal, blackened new age, and copious other mutant genres that usually don’t mix.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for drastic
Cite this Entry
“Drastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drastic. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
drastic
1 of 2 adjective
dras·tic
ˈdras-tik 
: acting rapidly or violently
—used chiefly of purgatives
drastic
2 of 2 noun
: a powerful medicinal agent
especially
: a strong purgative
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