drastic

English

WOTD – 24 June 2007

Alternative forms

• drastick (obsolete)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δραστικός (drastikós, “active, efficient”), from δρᾶσις (drâsis, “strength, efficacy”), itself from δράω (dráō, “to do”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɹæs.tɪk/
• Rhymes: -æstɪk

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (General Australian):

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Adjective

drastic (comparative more drastic, superlative most drastic)

1. Having a strong or far-reaching effect; extreme, severe.

   If our third attempt fails, we may need drastic ideas.

   • 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:

     Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic who still resists the idea that something drastic needs to happen for him to turn his life around.

2. (Orig. of medicine) Acting rapidly or violently.
   • 1871-72, George Eliot, Middlemarch:

     Great statesmen err, and why not small medical men? Mr. Wrench did not neglect sending the usual white parcels, which this time had black and drastic contents. Their effect was not alleviating to poor Fred [...]

Usage notes

This word typically has a negative connotation. When describing positive, neutral, or non-frightening things, a less loaded synonym such as dramatic may be preferred instead. [1]

Synonyms

• (severe): draconian

Derived terms

• drastic times call for drastic measures
• drastically

Translations

extreme, severe

• Afrikaans: drasties
• Armenian: կտրուկ (hy) (ktruk), վճռական (hy) (včṙakan), արմատական (hy) (armatakan)
• Asturian: drásticu
• Bulgarian: драстичен (bg) (drastičen)
• Catalan: dràstic
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 大刀闊斧／大刀阔斧 (zh) (dàdāokuòfǔ)

• Czech: drastický (cs)
• Dutch: drastisch (nl)
• Esperanto: drasta, (rilate al politiko aŭ normo) radikala (eo)
• Finnish: radikaali (fi), äärimmäinen (fi), drastinen (fi)
• French: draconien (fr), drastique (fr) (proscribed), énergique (fr)
• Galician: drástico
• German: drastisch (de)
• Hebrew: דרסטי (he) (drasti)
• Hungarian: drasztikus (hu)
• Ido: drastika (io)
• Italian: drastico (it)
• Occitan: drastic (oc)
• Polish: drastyczny (pl)
• Portuguese: drástico (pt)
• Russian: интенсивный (ru) (intensivnyj), реши́тельный (ru) (rešítelʹnyj), радикальный (ru) (radikalʹnyj), глубо́кий (ru) (glubókij), ре́зкий (ru) (rézkij), невероя́тный (ru) (neverojátnyj)
• Spanish: drástico (es)
• Swedish: drastisk (sv)
• Turkish: köklü (tr)

Noun

drastic (plural drastics)

1. A powerful, fast-acting purgative medicine.

Anagrams

• cardist

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French drastique.

Adjective

drastic m or n (feminine singular drastică, masculine plural drastici, feminine and neuter plural drastice)

1. drastic

Declension

Declension of drastic

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	drastic		drastică	drastici	drastice
	definite	drasticul		drastica	drasticii	drasticele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	drastic		drastice	drastici	drastice
	definite	drasticului		drasticei	drasticilor	drasticelor