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
And this work is all the more important with the drastic cuts to national park funding.
—
Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2025
But both tests could soon undergo dramatic changes because of drastic cutbacks at federal health agencies that public-health advocates say imperil both programs.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 17 Apr. 2025
However, on Wednesday, Sharpton indicated that the retailer’s drastic policy shift — and a potential backlash — will be a primary focus of the discussion.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2025
Other companies take more drastic measures, as seen when the company behind NordVPN created NordLynx, a protocol built on WireGuard that assigns dynamic IP addresses to every customer.
—PC Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drastic
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Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2025
But both tests could soon undergo dramatic changes because of drastic cutbacks at federal health agencies that public-health advocates say imperil both programs.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 17 Apr. 2025
However, on Wednesday, Sharpton indicated that the retailer’s drastic policy shift — and a potential backlash — will be a primary focus of the discussion.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2025
Other companies take more drastic measures, as seen when the company behind NordVPN created NordLynx, a protocol built on WireGuard that assigns dynamic IP addresses to every customer.
—PC Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for drastic
Cite this Entry
“Drastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drastic. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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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