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
Researchers have found that after these events, antidepressant use rises among teenagers living near a school shooting. — Vishal R. Patel, Time, 9 Aug. 2026 According to Patrick, Lindsay was admitted to an inpatient program at McLean Hospital in early January 2023 but was released after five days and given another antidepressant prescription. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
Noun
It’s being developed for treatment resistant depression — depression that doesn’t get better after someone tries at least two different antidepressants — which affects about 30% of people who have depression. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 11 Aug. 2026 Lindsay Clancy's prescription drug use Reddington questioned Tufts about her decision to prescribe Zoloft, an antidepressant, to Clancy. — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 10 Aug. 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 16 Aug. 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
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