drastic

adjective

dras·​tic ˈdra-stik 

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

The drastic change was met with shock around the Major League Baseball community. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025

Apple is taking the drastic measure of scrapping an encryption feature for users in the UK after the country’s government demanded that the iPhone maker create a backdoor capable of accessing users' iCloud storage and backups. —Michael Kan, PCMAG, 21 Feb. 2025

Unlike previous executive orders, which made drastic moves from creating a whole new government office (DOGE) or shutting down US aid to foreign nations (and leaving its workers across the world in limbo), the IVF order is much less prescriptive. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 20 Feb. 2025

There is a sense internally that Moyes is not too drastic a stylistic departure from his predecessor. —Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin drāsticus, borrowed from Greek drāstikós "active, energetic, (of medication) acting rapidly," from drāst-, stem of drā́stēs "doer, performer" (from drā-, variant stem of dráō, drân "to do, perform" + -tēs, agentive suffix, with analogical -s-) + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at drama

First Known Use

circa 1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for drastic

• clastic
• mastic
• plastic
• spastic
• aeroelastic
• ecclesiastic
• elastoplastic
• enthusiastic
• iconoclastic
• interscholastic
• megaloblastic
• osteoblastic

Kids Definition

drastic

adjective

dras·​tic ˈdras-tik 

1

: acting rapidly or violently

2

: severe in effect : harsh

had to take drastic measures

drastically

-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

drastic

1 of 2 adjective

dras·​tic ˈdras-tik 

: acting rapidly or violently

—used chiefly of purgatives

drastically

-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

drastic

2 of 2 noun

: a powerful medicinal agent

especially : a strong purgative