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
Analysts and industry officials say the airline will have to make drastic changes, including cutting flights and exiting some markets to become profitable, which is still not likely to happen this year.
—
Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Both types are usually linked to a quick increase in activity or drastic change in it.
—Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 8 Apr. 2024
The risk of drastic change appears to be much higher on the American side.
—Motoko Rich, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Russia’s war upended the post-Cold War geopolitical order, forcing Europe to take seriously its own defense after decades of dwindling military budgets and prompting countries on its border to take more drastic measures.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
With the drastic increase of the cost of fresh foods, food insecurity issues will likely increase more, too.
—Tamara Yakaboski, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2024
The absence is notable and a drastic pivot from BlackRock’s 2020 Letter to Clients, Sustainability as BlackRock’s New Standard for Investing.
—Jon McGowan, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
There won’t be drastic changes, but there will be subtle brand shifts.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024
However, if there is a drastic cost difference between the two, Burt said the agency might want to reconsider.
—Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024
Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Both types are usually linked to a quick increase in activity or drastic change in it.
—Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 8 Apr. 2024
The risk of drastic change appears to be much higher on the American side.
—Motoko Rich, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Russia’s war upended the post-Cold War geopolitical order, forcing Europe to take seriously its own defense after decades of dwindling military budgets and prompting countries on its border to take more drastic measures.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
With the drastic increase of the cost of fresh foods, food insecurity issues will likely increase more, too.
—Tamara Yakaboski, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2024
The absence is notable and a drastic pivot from BlackRock’s 2020 Letter to Clients, Sustainability as BlackRock’s New Standard for Investing.
—Jon McGowan, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
There won’t be drastic changes, but there will be subtle brand shifts.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024
However, if there is a drastic cost difference between the two, Burt said the agency might want to reconsider.
—Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drastic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near drastic
Cite this Entry
“Drastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drastic. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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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